Come Join the Ban

The Iowa legislative session is finally coming to an end and thank goodness. Among the important legislation considered this round were lots of bans. Nanny bans. Stupid bans. Inconsistent bans.

Soda pop and candy were banned in middle and high schools during school hours. We need to limit our kids’ choices after all.

These same kids talk too much, so a ban on text messaging while driving was pushed.

To show our patriotism, Iowa State Representative Ray Zirkelbach introduced a ban on foreign-made flags. Good luck finding ones made in the USA!

We are banned from raising mixed wild/domestic hybrid cats, so keep your pumas and mountain lions to themselves.

We are civilized, so a ban on mixed martial arts, cage-fighting, was introduced.

Witnessing a dog fight or cock fight was banned. "You don't just stumble across a dog fight,” says Josh Colvin with the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. Is that so? I’m looking outside, watching two neighbors’ dogs go at each others’ throat right now. I’m so illegal.

The legislature refused to lift a ban; self-imposed voluntary casino banishment. No Casino for you!

The crowning banning achievement by the legislature is Iowa’s new universal smoking ban. One year ago, they raised taxes on cigarettes by $1.00 per pack. Then the cigarette business went south, literally, and one-third of the tax revenue disappeared.

Now, after weeks of political wrangling, and all ‘for the kids,’ and for greater health of Iowa, we have a new statewide smoking ban. It is banned EVERYWHERE, except a couple of places. Like Casino floors, and hotels and motels, retail tobacco stores, private and semi-private rooms in care facilities, private clubs, limousines, outdoor areas, farm trackers and trucks, the Iowa Veterans Home, and your home.

I’m sure the bar and restaurant owners love this ban… Rural Iowa just dried up even more.

My favorite Iowa ban on the books: The sale of wild turkey bones. Bury those things when you boil off the carcass!

Carping about official state fish

Rights Boy’s good friend Mike Burgher opined about channel catfish in this morning’s Des Moines Register.

You can find his edited letter, along with comments from other readers, here.

The unedited opinion follows.

Another legislative session coming to an end, and no action on crowning my beloved channel catfish as the official state fish! Where is the justice?

The carp lobby has grown strong and become quite vocal this year. Even the walleye crowd, once considered an ally, has become a different kettle of fish.

This is one of the few things the Legislature can do that won’t cost the taxpayers a lot of money along the way. Oh, Brad Zaun, you express such outrage about your dinner; why aren’t you as concerned about mine?

Declare the channel cat as our State Fish!