Marketplace of Ideas Blog

WOSH (1490 AM) and WVBO (103.9 FM) news director Jonathan Krause on the Legislature's (and Department of Public Instruction's) latest stupid idea:

The State Assembly will vote today on a bill that would give the Department of Public Instruction the power to investigate complaints about schools with race-based sports mascots and logos. This is another example of what happens when lawmakers have too much time on their hands — and need to find things to do down in Madison. That’s kind of surprising — since we seem to have a two-billion dollar structural deficit that everyone pretends is somehow going to go away before the next budget cycle in 2011.

Interruption: The bill apparently will not be voted on until Thursday. Which doesn’t change the idiocy of the bill.

Anyway, the bill would give school boards a chance to “see the error of their ways” and change the nicknames — or face fines from the State Superintendent. Yes, schools could now be fined for having team names like Indians, Chiefs, Braves and even Warriors. I find the fine aspect of the bill ironic — since it comes from the very same people who complain endlessly about how our schools don’t have enough money to properly educate our children. Now they are more than willing to take away more of those precious funds in a fight over team mascots.

The authority to fine will also lie exclusively with Superintendent of Public Instruction. If he or she finds “Warriors” offensive — he or she is the lone arbiter on issue. The people living in that district want to keep the nickname? Tough luck. This apparently is one time when “local control” isn’t such a priority with the DPI.

There are still a handful of schools in our area that will be targeted by this bill. Stockbridge, Berlin and Weyauwega–Fremont may as well start planning on choosing their new mascot right now — because there is no way a Madison Democrat like Tony Evers is going to accept any explanation for keeping the “Indians” nickname.