| This week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law a measure that critics have dubbed the "don't say gay" bill. The new law is certainly aimed at limiting LGBTQ discussion in schools. But it's much broader. It's part of the battle over how much say parents should have in their students' education — and raises questions of how much of a support system schools should be for students, period. Here are three big things the law does, and the effect it could have on students: 1. It bans instruction or classroom discussion about LGBTQ issues for kindergarten through third grade. For older students, discussion about gay and transgender issues has to be "age appropriate or developmentally appropriate." The legislation is effectively a statement that classroom education about sex and gender shouldn't start at an early age and that parents should have a lot of say in the matter. It aims to "reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children," according to the text of the legislation. Why this is so controversial: Critics say because it limits even classroom discussions about LGBTQ issues, it could stifle conversations for children who need to work through their own gender or sexual-identity questions. 2. It empowers parents to sue the school district over teachings they don't like. And the district will have to pay for it. What impact that could have on students: That could prompt schools to preemptively shut out teachings or conversations about LGBTQ issues. (Some librarians across the country are accusing their schools of quietly removing race- and LGBTQ-related books from their shelves before it starts a fight, The Washington Post recently reported.) 3. It requires schools to tell parents when their child receives mental health services. What impact that could have on students: It could take away the a school's ability to serve as a haven for students who might not feel comfortable talking to their parents about their gender orientation or sexuality. But it would also ensure parents are informed if their child is experiencing confusion over their identity. One of the advocates for the bill is a Florida mother who says her child's school was recognizing her child's gender identity as different from the one they recognized at home. How this bill pushes the lines on the parental-rights debate: Proponents of the legislation argue that parents, above all else, should be in charge of their children. This argument falls neatly in line with pushes on the right during the pandemic against mask and vaccine mandates in schools. The right similarly pushed back against certain school discussions about race after the protests in the wake of George Floyd's killing. (Florida has banned conversations in schools that make someone feel "guilt" about their race.) This LGBTQ bill comes at a time when the culture wars being led by the right are catching fire with the base, but also as more younger people than ever in the country are identifying as LGBTQ. What is Title 42, and how could it affect Democrats in the midterms?  A Border Patrol agent tries to stop a migrant in September in Del Rio, Tex. (Paul Ratje/AFP/Getty Images) | Even as he promised a more compassionate approach to immigration, President Biden has kept in place one of the most contentious immigration policies of the Trump era, known as Title 42. But his administration could be lifting it soon — a win for liberal immigration activists but a potential political headache for Biden. What is Title 42?: It's a federal health code from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that President Donald Trump put in place at the start of the pandemic. It cites the pandemic as a reason to clear the border as quickly as possible. Under it, the government can send migrants trying to cross the border illegally back to their home countries immediately upon apprehending them, rather than letting them apply for asylum and stay in the United States while their cases await a court date. Why is it controversial?: Activists argue this is an inhumane way to treat people seeking refuge. American law says people who come to the border to seek asylum should be allowed in. In September, as Haitian refugees at the Mexican border were being flown back to Haiti under this, the U.S. special envoy to Haiti resigned in protest over the practice. Why has the Biden administration continued it?: As recently as January, the Biden administration argued in court that it is necessary to protect public health and stop the coronavirus from spreading along the border. Left unspoken is that lifting Title 42 could at least temporarily create chaos at the border. It could implicitly encourage migrants to come and try to seek asylum, now that they won't get immediately put on a plane back home. Why this could be a problem for Biden: Biden has already struggled politically with the border. Attempted border crossings spiked as he took office, under a belief that he would be more lenient toward migrants than Trump. As a result, immigration was one of the dark spots in Biden's polling early on in his administration. We've seen some politically troubling images arise from crowded border situations under Biden, like that of a White Border Patrol agent on horseback trying to catch Black, Haitian men running away from him. Now, as Republicans try to take control of Congress in November's midterm elections, they regularly talk about the border as something out of control — painting it as yet another example of how Biden promised to bring order to the nation but delivered has chaos. | 
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