WND is always amusing and confusing.
The bill would indeed remove a passage that says people can’t be fired simply for being a communist and it does say a communist organization can use school property. To me, that sounds like a freedom of speech and freedom of political affiliation issue. Making this change would mean that California joins ALL the other states in the union. Read the following from the staff summary of the bill:
5) Other states. While California joins other states in
providing for the dismissal of teachers who advocate
the overthrow of the government, California is the
only state that provides for the dismissal of a
teacher for being a member of the Communist Party.
IOW, all us other folks live in states that already allow members of the communist party to teach and be state employees.
The bill makes it clear that anybody who advocates violence against or overthrow of the U.S. government can be fired immediately. IOW, a known terrorist still cannot work for the government or in the schools. IOW, the amendments that were rejected were completely unnecessary because of the California constitution. Again from the bill summary:
3) Government overthrow. This bill does not diminish
current law with regard to the dismissal of school,
community college and public employees for advocating, or belonging to a group that advocates the overthrow of the government, or the dismissal of school employees for advocating or teaching communism.
In an earlier WND the reporter alleged that the bill would also allow teachers to teach communism in a way as to try to convert students. Apparently WND doesn’t employ “reporters” who read very well, as you can see from more of the official summary:
“2) Indoctrination. This bill does not affect current law
that prohibits a teacher from advocating or teaching
communism with the intent to indoctrinate or to
inculcate in the mind of any pupil a preference for
communism.
Well, put. It is so easy to get carried away and, with all good intent, destroy liberty rather than protect it.
One more thing.
“...require users of school facilities to affirm they are not terrorists.”
Let’s see, would that average terrorist sign some kind of statment attesting to the fact that they are a terrorist? Of course not!
That explains it.