Tenth Amendment fanatic Cynthia Davis, R-O'Fallon is at it again, filing a bill which would protect the rights of Missourians to own light bulbs (and apparently this will convince the people in her senatorial district to vote for a dim bulb.)
Mrs. Davis' bill, HB 2468, the Freedom to Own Light Bulbs Act, includes the following passage:
4. A lightbulb or lightbulb accessory that is manufactured commercially or privately in Missouri and that remains within the borders of Missouri is not subject to federal law or federal regulation, including registration, under the authority of congress to regulate interstate commerce. It is declared by the legislature that those items have not traveled in interstate commerce. This section applies to a lightbulb or lightbulb accessory that is manufactured in Missouri from basic materials and that can be manufactured without the inclusion of any significant parts imported into this state. Generic and insignificant parts that have other manufacturing or consumer product applications are not lightbulbs or lightbulb accessories, and their importation into Missouri and incorporation into a lightbulb or lightbulb accessory manufactured in Missouri does not subject the lightbulb or lightbulb accessory to federal regulation. It is declared by the legislature that basic materials are not lightbulbs or lightbulb accessories and are not subject to congressional authority to regulate lightbulbs or lightbulb accessories under interstate commerce as if they were actually lightbulbs or lightbulb accessories. The authority of congress to regulate interstate commerce in basic materials does not include the authority to regulate lightbulbs or lightbulb accessories made in Missouri from those materials. Lightbulb accessories that are imported into Missouri from another state and that are subject to federal regulation as being in interstate commerce do not subject a lightbulb to federal regulation under interstate commerce because they are attached to or used in conjunction with a lightbulb in Missouri.
5. A lightbulb manufactured or sold in Missouri under the provisions of this section shall have the words "Made in Missouri" clearly stamped.
Political experts say this daring move will enable to Mrs. Davis to corner the market among those who don't know watt they're talking about.
GE Whiz! doesn't she realize there are actually serious issues that need to be discussed?
Calling an assembly woman names in lieu of writing off the substance of her position doesn't seem like much of a response.
ReplyDeleteSo, substantively, you have no problem with congress ignoring the tenth amendment, and passing a law that says you can't place any kind of filament between your electrodes, unless it's homemade or an expensive GE mercury bomb?
If I'm reading a news story that can't remain objective, to me that's no longer a news story and just an opinon. As soon as the subject of the story was refered to as a "dim bulb," I stopped.
ReplyDeleteThis site offers news and commentary. I have always been up front about that. If you came looking for totally objective writing, you came to the wrong blog. I work at being accurate and fair (whether you agree with me on the definition of fair or not).
ReplyDeleteYou ask: "doesn't she realize there are actually serious issues that need to be discussed?"
ReplyDeleteGiven the tons of odious legislation this Tea Party Gracie Allen dishes up each session (most of which fades away, leaving only a sense of palpable embarassment), I say keep her occupied with light bulbs (although one can worry about what precedents this nitwit may be trying to set up vis-a-vis federal vs. state regulation).
Actually, the local sheltered workshop was assembling and packaging lightbulbs, but because of Federal manadates to convert people to flourescent they lost the contract. All the flourescents are made overseas, I believe in China. Yes the flourescents save energy, but they are bad for the environment because they contain mercury and, personally, I don't think the light quality is as good. So in this case you may have knee-jerk attacked a favorite target for doing the right thing. She makes herself a target for progressives, but we need to make sure when we fire that it is a fair target.
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