Some time ago I posted about a bill before the Louisiana legislature to ban low-riding pants. It appears that the bill has been defeated. I must say I’m relieved; you just can’t never tell what that bunch is going to do down there in Baton Rouge. Fortunately, while some come off as clowns in the article, there appear to have been at least a few clear heads:

Lawmakers questioned how police would determine what was deemed the proper dress and what breaks the law. Rep. Jack Smith, D-Stephensville, said police would have to get new training “to now determine what fashion is legal and what fashion is illegal.”

Rep. Danny Martiny, R-Kenner, said the measure was well-intentioned but unenforceable. He said the bill would only hurt the Legislature if it was passed, making Louisiana “the laughingstock of the country.”

“At the end of the day, there’s only so much that we as a Legislature can do to deal with people’s conduct. This is an issue that ought to be addressed by parents primarily, by the preachers, by the coaches,” Martiny said.

Shepherd said the Legislature has the right to determine what was decent. He compared his proposal to curfew laws, truancy laws and a ban on gay marriage and called his bill “tough love” for young people.

“I’ve heard arguments before that it’s unenforceable, that it’s unconstitutional. Those same arguments were used when we enacted seat belt laws,” he said.

There’s those dang seat belt laws again!

My sister used to work for a state agency, and she often had to attend sessions of the legislature. As she put it, sometimes Louisiana seems like a Banana Republic.

Posted in uncategorized on May 26th, 2004 by Thibodeaux | RSS 2.0 |