Ridiculous state laws are a waste of legislators' time, taxpayers' money
WASHINGTON, DC -- If you think the politicians in Washington, DC are bad, you haven't seen what your state legislators are doing, the Libertarian Party said today.
Over the past year, they've tried to pass bills that would create the post of Secretary of Barbecue, ban the sale of cat-fur clothing, require horse-and-buggy operators to have a driver's license, make big bottles of beer illegal, and mandate that insurance companies pay for toupees for bald guys.
And that's just the beginning.
"States have been called the laboratories of democracy -- but they're actually Frankenstein's laboratories, churning out a monstrous series of meddling laws, foolish dictates, and preposterous pronouncements," said Steve Dasbach, the Libertarian Party's national director.
"And the worst part is that you -- and your fellow state taxpayers -- have to finance all this legislative malarkey."
Over the past year, according to an expose from the National Journal, state legislatures have considered or passed bills that would:
* Make it illegal to breastfeed someone else's baby without permission. (Maryland)
* Create the official government position of Secretary of Barbecue. (Florida)
* Require a driver's license and insurance to operate a horse-and-buggy on public roads. (Virginia)
* Make it illegal to sell beer bottles that are larger than 32 ounces. (Florida)
* Prohibit the sale of dog-fur or cat-fur clothing. (New Jersey)
* Require insurance companies to pay for the cost of toupees for men suffering from alopecia -- the medical term for baldness. (Missouri)
* Allow underage cooking school students to taste (but not drink) wine. (Florida)
* Honor NFL quarterback Kurt Warner for being named the National Football League's Most Valuable Player. (Missouri)
* Scold Late Show host Craig Kilborn for calling Kentucky "Kensucky." (Kentucky)
* Prohibit auto dealers from selling cars or trucks on consecutive Saturdays and Sundays. (Utah)
* Name the green frog the official "State Amphibian." (Indiana)
* Designate the Purple Loosestrife plant a "noxious weed." (Virginia)
* Mandate a dress code for teachers. (South Carolina)
* Force tow-truck operators to accept at least two major credit cards. (Delaware)
* Shine a laser pointer at a law enforcement officer. (Indiana)
* Prohibit any mention of non-Christian religions when teaching Colonial history. (Kentucky)
What do all these bills have in common? They are simply not necessary, said Dasbach.
"All these bills are solutions in search of a problem," he said. "Has there been an epidemic of crazed, bald horse-and-buggy operators wearing cat-fur and drinking 64 oz. beers, who are shining laser pointers at police while breastfeeding other people's babies?
"If not, these state politicians could improve the quality of their legislative output by following the old advice: Don't just do something, stand there."
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