New contest: Most embarrassing state legislative proposals.

[katinmn]

Here's a MN entry.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=160x8787

Under this proposal, residents would be required to show proof of health insurance in order to file taxes or renew a driver's licenses. I wonder if they'd also garnishee wages to ensure you buy insurance. Their premise is discombobulated or am I wrong that the reason people go without health insurance is -- THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT. I wonder what the difference is between the "basic" coverage and the platiunum.

http://wcco.com/localnews/local_story_088142746.html
Bill Would Require Health Insurance In 2007

Mar 29, 2005 1:23 pm US/Central
St. Paul (AP) Two lawmakers backed a plan Tuesday that would require all Minnesotans to buy basic health insurance coverage starting in 2007.

The mandate is part of a health care overhaul proposed by the Minnesota Medical Association and supported by Sen. Sheila Kiscaden, I-Rochester, and Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka.

Under the MMA plan, everyone would pay the same premium for the most basic medical benefits because risk would be spread statewide, but individuals could pay more to upgrade, Kiscaden said. The state could require proof of insurance on tax returns or drivers license renewals, she said.

"We want everybody to have access to health care," said Dr. J. Michael Gonzalez-Campoy, president of the MMA, which represents about 10,000 Minnesota physicians. "Costs will be lower because we will have healthier people."
--a bit more--

[drthais]

1. OK! I want to play!

my favorite, from last year
here in Louisiana

There was a bill that went through the house
stating that the teaching of evolution
should not occur in the public schools
because it is obvious that Charles Darwin was a racist!

[katinmn]

3. Darwin a racist! LOL!

That is good.:applause:

[gizmo1979]

2. That's the beginning of the Bush health plan

believe it or not.Very similar to the plan floating around DC where everyone would have a health care acct.to pay for their own health care the gov would pay for catastrophic company's would be off the hook for premiums.

[katinmn]

4. I wouldn't be surprised. I think the WH likes to "float" things here

and there to see how they'll play in the heartland.

[kodi]

5. in 1897, the Indiana State legislature attempted to define Pi as 3.2

http://www.math.niu.edu/~rusin/known-math/97/pi.bill

[katinmn]

17. that's certainly unique. It's not even a pork bill

as far as I can tell.

[kodi]

21. thinbk of a faith based society attempting to make a circle into a square

that'a it.

[bamademo]

6. I win

Alabama makes it illegal to sell vibrators. Top that. :crazy: :wtf:

[NMDemDist2]

7. Az is working a bill through to allow guns in bars

isn't that just the smartest idea?? :sarcasm:

http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/printDS/67267.php

[tyedyeto]

14. When I first heard of the bill...

I started a thread in the AZ forum.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=139x1749

Never did get a questioned answered tho.......Is this the same bill that was withdrawn by the author in early March?

[City Lights]

20. It looks like it's the same bill.

If you read through the links available here, it looks like it's the same bill the author killed earlier in the month.

[NMDemDist2]

26. the dateline on the article was 3-25-05

sounds pretty current to me

[Wabbajack]

25. I cannot believe that is true

we are fucked.

[katinmn]

8. These are all winners!

:hide:

[SCDem]

9. SC Bill

That would make it a crime for state employees to let a phone call go to voice mail while they were at there desk.

How would you enforce the darn thing?

[katinmn]

16. That's pretty dumb all right.

It probably started with one person complaining to the bill author. Some of these elected officials have the common sense of a flea.

[SCDem]

18. Yes

and to think that they complain about "state workers" and the inefficiency of them but yet they, being paid by tax dollars, spend their time thinking this crap up and actually proposing it during working hours. It's not like SC has other problems or anything.... education, poverty, unemployment, preventive health problems.

[MaineDem]

10. Banning abortion of gay fetuses

I mean, come on, this has to be the winner!

Maine's Repsentative Duprey-R (the one featured on the Daily Show last week) has introduced a bill that would prohibit the aborting of a fetus that carried "the gay gene". I kid you not!

:eyes:

[Charon]

11. Embarrising Legislation

Here in Virginia, the house of Delegates considered a bill to reqire a woman to report a miscarrage to the state. It died in committee.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

12. Died in committee?

Stillborn? Miscarried? Had its feeding tube removed? :)

[katinmn]

19. Must have been trying to collect statistics

pretty strange way to go about it, though.

[CatholicEdHead]

27. Wasn't it worse

in that the woman had to weigh the remains and drop them off at the nearest hospital and that it would have been illegal to flush them down the toilet?

[mikeytherat]

13. Virginia's "Droopy Pants" Act

Yes, it was killed, but still...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4256979.stm

mikey_the_rat

[katinmn]

15. LOL. I agree. Amazing, given all the pressing issues we have.....

[seabeyond]

22. we are going to be a nation of toothless

there is no dental insurance i have found the last couple months. the dentist office assured me. talked to business owners they said no. and talked to an insurance guy and as soon as i say dental he made a face

and we buy health insurance, just went up only 400 a month would have been more but increased deductable an co pay

i am so pissed about this

pissed
pissed
pissed

i simply dont want to get teeth fixed and break family financially if i get sick

[CAG]

23. Cockboxing, not Cockfighting, in Oklahoma

Since cockfighting was banned in Oklahoma by a vote, state reps supporting the underground cockfighting groups to save their "industry" have tried various proposals to bring it back. The most recent is a proposal to put boxing gloves onto the birds so that its not a fight to the death, but a fight to I guess a TKO.

I can see the lineups already:
Mike "Tyson" vs Evander Chickenfield
Leon Beaks vs Oscar Egg la Hoya

[Not_Giving_Up]

24. How about the one in Texas

Who wants to not fund schools that allow their cheerleaders to bump and grind?

[cquik18]

28. This one was enacted here in TN today

As of today, stores can no longer sell medicines carrying sudaphedrine (pardon me if I misspelled it) off the shelf...meaning that sinus and cold medicines like Sudafed can now only be purchased behind the counter, after preseting a valid form of identification and signing for it.

The reason?

Since sudaphedrine is a primary ingredient used in making meth, resulting in large purchases of sinus medicine at stores, Governor Bredesen signed this bill into law yesterday. Clandestine meth labs are a big problem here in Tennessee, especially in the rural areas, and something must be done about such scourges to society. I just wonder why the state government hauled ass on getting this piece of legislation drawn up, ratified, signed, and enacted in such a short time, while dragging their feet on Tenncare (our health program), tax reform, education, and other more pressing issues.

Also, and this happened with no fanfare...liquor stores in Tennessee have had to change their hours...Monday thru Friday 8am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 7am to 11pm...they used to be open M-Sa 7am-11pm...Two years ago, the state mandated that adult bookstores have to close at midnite, and on Sundays...they used to have the option of being open 24-7. Is this a theocracy or WHAT? :-p

Could be that our politicians are full of it? NAAAAAAAH!!!!