who is in charge of naming things anyway?

Okay, it's not called Protect the Plastic Bag.

HB 2416 'THE SHOPPING BAG FREEDOM ACT'

Because dude, it is not Texas if we can't make it sound like this can and will involve something not unlike the Alamo and rugged individualists with steely gazes, patriotic hearts beating passionately beneath their man-quiet exteriors. I have to admit, however, his courage in willingly donning that shade of yellow tie to say this speaks volumes, though the language being spoken eludes me.

So this is gonna be fun. The contrariness, it stirs.

Comments

[dorothy1901]

Today, Rep. Drew Springer (Muenster) filed HB 2416 'The Shopping Bag Freedom Act' to give retailers and consumers the freedom to give and receive plastic and paper bags across the state and stop the overreach of big government.

As of last Friday, businesses in the City of Austin will no longer be able to distribute single-use bags to any of their customers.

The City of Austin is "big government"? I'd say city government is medium at best. Not to mention that if Rep. Springer wants to use the power of the state to override some city's law, then he's the one supporting the overreach of big government.

Have fun. *g*

[seperis]

Yeah, he seems to speak a very different form of English than we lesser beings. "Big government" to him seems to refer to--well, 'big' as opposed to 'small', which...if you compare Austin to like, Dimebox? I can see it.

[liviapenn]

Ah, we just started doing that in Portland. No more plastic bags at Powell's! So I basically have to remember to take a re-usable bag with me everywhere, or else not impulse shop.

The other most recent AAARGHHH IMPINGEMENT ON OUR FREEDOM proposal is mandatory paid sick days for food service workers. Somehow I can't even read any opposing remarks no matter how hard I try. My eyes just start crossing and all I can see is "I WANT MY FOOD SNEEZED ON BECAUSE FREEDOM" typed over and over.

[seperis]

My head hurts just imagining that justification. Seriously, who wants disease ridden food?

[liviapenn]

I *knowwww*. It's always "but think of the poor small business which will collapse under this impossible financial burden," but (1) the sheer weight of ignorance there, not to understand that the same thing was sincerely claimed of every other labor restriction in HISTORY-- "if we can't employ toddlers to lick toxic chemicals, industry will collapse! no business could possibly function if it had to pay overtime, a minimum wage," etc., and (2) it's going to apply to everyone equally, so it's not like giving some businesses an unfair advantage over others. Maybe food will get a tiny bit more expensive in Portland *across the board*-- Portlanders aren't going to stop eating food.

[seperis]

You made me snort coffee reading that, thanks.

Dude, what would we do without toxic-chemical-licking-toddlers? IT IS UNAMERICAN NOT TO HAVE THEM. Freedom fries! Patriot Act! NRA!

[lilacsigil]

I want to call everything the [subject] Freedom Act now! It's brilliant!

[seperis]

It is surprisingly versatile!

[mercurybard]

Oh good lord, our state