Free Talk Live

A photo of two Democratic legislators playing solitaire has ignited controversy at the state Capitol and in the blogosphere.

The Associated Press picture has appeared in any number of venues, and it shows two lawmakers sitting in the back row of the historic Hall of the House in Hartford during the lengthy debate over the two-year, $37 billion state budget.

Democratic Rep. Charlie Brown of Gary tells the Post-Tribune that all legislators must have been asleep when they passed a law requiring a 70-year-old like himself to show an ID at a liquor store.

One of the better news agencies in Austin has some choice footage showing state legislators casting votes in the place of colleagues who might not even be in the building. Hypocritically, this happened even as the state legislature itself passed laws criminalizing regular folks who vote on behalf another person in general and primary elections. The best part? While the speaker of the House acknowledges that this practice violates the rules of the legislature, but chooses not to enforce the rule.

Here is a good reason NOT to go to Hawaii. State legislators are considering a new proposal that would require Internet service providers to collect and retain for two years data on every website residents visit.

Salmonella contamination at a Nevada food-flavoring plant may trigger the recall of as many as 10,000 products, according to a Consumers Union scientist.

PepsiCo Inc. joined Procter & Gamble Co., Nestle SA and McCormick & Co. yesterday in recalling food containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or HVP.

To date, there are no known illnesses associated with the contaminated HVP, which is sometimes referred to as a “natural flavor” on ingredient labels

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/HVPCP/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid-hydrolyzed_vegetable_protein

NH Legislators again raise the bar for the 10th Amendment Movement – felony charges proposed for federal agents violating gun rights in New Hampshire

In a radio interview on Thursday with Albany’s WGDJ-AM, New York governor Andrew Cuomo said that he plans to work with state legislators next month to submit a proposal for new gun-control laws; in particular, Cuomo said, “our focus is assault weapons,” because current state laws regulating the weapons “have more holes that Swiss cheese.” Cuomo continued, “Confiscation could be an option. Mandatory sale to the state could be an option. Permitting could be an option — keep your gun but permit it.”

Check out this somewhat nervous but well-spoken 15 year-old girl as she completely pwns the legislators on proposed new gun legislation.

Christie recently said that a bill that would require pet owners to buckle their animals into seat belts while driving is “stupid,” and that he won’t sign it. No argument here. The bill is an egregious example of nanny-state governing, the product of legislators believing that most anything that crosses their mind can and should be turned into law.