It is now legal to skin roadkill in Illinois

In other news, it used to be illegal to skin roadkill in Illinois.

CASEYVILLE, Ill.(AP) – In six years of trapping, one thing has become apparent to Cody Champ: His pursuit of animal pelts isn't cheap, costing him $100 a week just for gas. So, it's little wonder the Illinois man welcomed a recent state law that allows him to get a few freebies, even if he needs a shovel and good gloves.

Among the hundreds of Illinois laws that took effect last year, the so-called "roadkill bill" got little attention despite being perhaps the quirkiest of all — allowing anyone with an Illinois furbearer license to salvage pelts or even food from the unfortunate fauna that prove no match for steel-belted radials.

New laws update from the Peoples Republic of California

California is broke. Taxpayers are fleeing the state in droves. Unemployment is at 11.3%. If you think the legislator is working hard to address these catastrophic problems, you would be wrong. Here are some of California's new laws.

• Effective January 1, there will be new curricula in our schools. K-12 children will learn about all the positive accomplishments contributed by lesbians, homosexuals, bisexual, transgender, and disabled individuals in Social Science classes up and down the State.  The law bans teaching materials that reflect poorly on the above noted individuals. Never mind, teaching the truth; it is better to inculcate students with political dogma.  What ever happened to teaching the Revolutionary, Civil, and World Wars I and II? 
• California’s growing food stamp program will renamed Cal-Fresh. I am not certain if a new bureaucracy will be created adding to the list of 571 California State agencies and commissions many of which are duplicative.
• Beer with added caffeine will be banded from California stores, effective the New Year.
• A minor who is 12 years of age will able to consent to medical care related to a sexually transmitted disease. No parental consent and knowledge required. Let’s remove the parents from the picture. The State will have ultimate jurisdiction over the child’s sexual behavior.
• California continues to push the envelope and welcomes illegal aliens to the Golden State. Effective January 1, unlicensed and uninsured drivers who are snagged in sobriety check points will no longer have their vehicles impounded. Last year, thousands of illegally licensed drivers who also happen to be illegal aliens, lost their vehicles to impound. Law enforcement will be prohibited from impounding vehicles of drivers who operate vehicles without a license, if that is their only offense. The double standard is alive and well in California. 
• While Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia will implement the highly successful E-Verify program to ascertain one’s social security number to verify employment eligibility, California bucks the tide, thumbs its nose at the law, and, effective January 1, prohibits private employers in the State from utilizing the E-Verify system. This side stepping of the law impacts California workers who follow the rules and is a major reason the State’s unemployment rate is the one of the highest in the nation, exceeding 12%. 
• Minors are not permitted to use tanning booths without parents’ permission. Interestingly, a minor as young as 12 in California can have an abortion without knowledge or consent of the parent but the child needs a note from the parent to use a tanning booth. Doesn’t it make you ponder who sits up at night and makes these laws? Do these lawmakers have children?

Congratulations California: You now have 725 new laws

California is broke. Instead of fixing the budget, California legislators enacted 725 new laws to burden their citizenry. Here are a few examples:

 AB 119 prevents insurance companies from charging different rates for men and women for identical coverage.

AB 715 makes a change to the California Green Building Standards code. The change will require new California buildings to be energy efficient.

AB 12 allows foster youth to acquire state services until the age of 21.

AB 97 bans the use of trans-fats in food facilities.

The four laws listed above will make insurance premiums high for men, increase the cost of building, cost taxpayers more in social services and make food less tasty. Why anyone still lives in California is beyond me.

No Joke: Florida Passed New Law to Prevent Horse Thievery

If you thought concern over horse thievery was a thing of the past, you were wrong. A law to combat horse theft was among the new laws that went on the books Thursday in Florida.

The Miami Herald reported:

Another new law was passed in response to an uptick in horse thievery supplying a South Florida black market with the tender, low-fat meat that sells for up to $40 a pound..

Oh, and you will have to buy your bong at a tobacco store now.

Selling various pipes, some also known as bongs, that can be used to smoke illegal as well as legal substances will be banned in Florida except at stores that mostly sell tobacco. Even before going into effect, though, the "bong bill" drew a legal challenge from 26 specialty stores, often called "head shops," from across the state.

Thankfully, Florida's legislator didn't have to spend time doing any serious budget cutting this year. They increased spending for the first time in four years after being propped up with $2.3 billion in federal stimulus money.