Indianapolis, IN

Mon 2 July 2007

So, I’m thinking about new laws that went into effect July 1, 2007. Yesterday, over 230 laws went into effect that were approved during the legislative session that ended on April 29. One of the new laws is that everyone in pickup trucks and SUVs are required to wear seat belts. I know there are a lot of people who don’t believe that the government needs to tell people to wear seat belts. By now, people should know that more often than not, wearing seat belts are safer than not wearing one. And I’m not trying to hear your stories about how someone was saved because he WASN’T wearing one. But if you don’t want to wear your seat belt, I’m not standing in the way of Darwinism.

Another law that goes into effect is that many professions, such as security guards, private investigators, interior designers and massage therapists are required to show some level of certification. That’s refreshing. I don’t think I’d like to hire a P.I. who based all of their knowledge on watching Magnum, P.I. and The Rockford Files. I’d also like to know that my massage therapist actually has some viable skills and not just a creep who likes to feel on me.

New mobile home communities are now required to equip new “homes” with weather radios, sparked from the tornado that hit the mobile home park in Evansville a few years ago, killing about 23. Even though I don’t live in a mobile home, I still think it would be a good idea to have a weather radio period. WTHR (Ch. 13) and H.H. Gregg had a deal where they were selling them for $30 last summer. (I’m not sure if they’re doing that again this year.)

Indiana schools are now required to teach about WWII’s Nazi Holocaust in high school U.S. history classes. It’s about time. When I was in high school, I took AP US History, and we barely touched on WWII. IN fact, we barely touched on anything 20th century. I guess we’ll just be seeing some of our kids (and adults) on Jay Leno’s “Jaywalking” segment of his show, making light of the fact that our kids and their parents have no idea about what goes on in the world, outside of celebrity gossip.

And don’t get me started on the fact that the minimum wage is just now being moved up to $7.25 (and that’s over the next three years). Even at that rate, you would still be part of the working poor. No one can really support their family on $7.25 and hour. And at that rate, you probably don’t even get benefits. I think it actually needs to be around $10/hr. I have a college degree and my last job as a special education assistant only paid $8.13/hr. And I thought we were a rich nation.

Another of the big laws is that a new 44-cent cigarette tax is in effect. It’s my understanding that part or all of this tax is to go to create health care for uninsured Hoosiers. So, while many smokers are complaining about the tax increase and say they might quit or cut down in the future (which was another byproduct of the tax proposed by the governor). So, either pay it or quit complaining. You may be funding health care for someone you know.

So, some of these laws that are now in effect just make sense. At least there were enough people with common sense in our state government who voted for it.

: new laws, seat belt laws, professional certification, teaching the Holocaust, minimum wage, cigarette tax, health care