State and Local Government

NY Bill Would Ban the Use of Salt in Restaurant Cooking

New York Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn) has introduced a bill that would prohibit restaurants in the state from using salt when preparing any dish to be served to customers. You will be pleased to know that, at least for now,…


No-Dueling Promise May Be Dropped From Kentucky Oath

As I wrote last year (here, and here), since 1849 the Kentucky Constitution has required anyone holding any "office of honor or profit" to swear that they have never fought or otherwise participated in a duel. This provision was added…


Attorney Convicted of Voting Seeks Pardon

As you may have heard, things have not been going so well for New York Governor David Paterson, who has announced he will not run for another term.  Another scandal has since come to light (although considering what the previous…


The Answers to Your Questions About Wisconsin’s State Symbols

Okay, I know that many of you are probably going nuts trying to remember Wisconsin's official state "song, flower, bird, tree, fish, state animal, wildlife animal, domestic animal, mineral, rock, symbol of peace, insect, soil, fossil, dog, beverage, grain, dance, ballad,…


Bill Would Designate Bacterium as Wisconsin’s Official State Microbe

Boing Boing reports that the Wisconsin legislature is considering whether to designate Lactococcus lactis (right) as the state's official microbe.  If it passes, Assembly Bill 556 would honor Lactococcus for the crucial role it plays in the Wisconsin economy (it turns milk into…


Marriage Illegal in Texas, Says Candidate

Barbara Ann Radnofsky, formerly a partner with Vinson & Elkins and now a Democratic candidate for Texas Attorney General, has pointed out the uncomfortable fact that a 2005 amendment to the state constitution, which was designed to ban gay marriage, may in fact…



Korean Woman Passes Driver’s Test on 950th Try

It seems like only yesterday that Cha Sa-soon was failing her 775th written driver's test, but in fact it was February.  Cha, a 68-year-old grandmother from South Korea, had been taking the test every two days or so starting sometime…



State Assistant AG Fired After Inappropriate Cemetery Visit

A 66-year-old deputy assistant attorney general is now no longer employed by South Carolina after a police officer noticed him and another person engaging in an unspecified activity in a "secluded part of a downtown cemetery." He and the 18-year-old…