legislators

The Idaho State Journal’s November 13 editorial titled “They Must Not like the Constitution” gave a “thumbs down” to 80 state legislators who attended the annual Assembly of State Legislatures (ASL) conference on November 11–13 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The editorial was not fair to the assembled legislators, nor was it accurate in describing the objectives of the growing Article V movement to amend the U.S. Constitution.

Florida’s PLSA program provides an education savings account for special-needs students and has proven to be a perfect solution for students like Brandon. Parents initially pay for approved educational services and then are reimbursed. Funding provided through the program can pay for everything from instructional materials to curriculum to approved specialized services and therapies.

Mississippi is in a precarious position regarding the Common Core national academic standards. Amid a large grassroots movement against the K–12 math and English standards, legislators opted to review the standards rather than simply repealing and replacing them.

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman made a shocking announcement earlier this month. He alleged that DNA tests his office commissioned found that about 80% of GNC supplements tested, including those sold as Ginkgo Biloba, St. John’s Wort, and Ginseng didn’t actually have any of the herb in the capsules.

Limiting the term of office served by elected politicians has been a controversial issue in the United States for many years. At one time the federal government had no term limits, with the president and Congress allowed to remain in office as long as they could get reelected. Today, the president is limited to two terms, but congressmen and senators are still free to run again and again. And they do.

Look, it is a fantasy that a group of legislators in Washington, DC or Albany New York can wave their magic wands and make everybody do what they want. A few years ago, I gave a speech to a group of state legislators in Albany shortly after New York enacted a new law prohibiting the use of hand-held cell phones while driving. In the taxi going from the airport to the venue I noticed that every single car on the highway was violating the 55 MPH speed limit, without exception, and at least a third of the drivers were chatting merrily on their hand-held phones.

NONE OF THIS EVER WORKS!