If you’re wondering how a state legislature that is in session all year fills its calendar, here is a Boston Globe story on a current bill that would make the Fluffernutter the official state sandwich of Massachusetts.
[The legislature had earlier this week occupied itself with undoing a bill that it passed in 2004. To avoid a Republic governor being able to appoint an interim Senator, the legislature amended state law so that only the voters via a special election could replace a Senator. With one of our U.S. Senate seats vacant and a Democratic governor in office, we apparently needed to return to the governor the power of appointing a replacement Senator. In order for the new law to be effective immediately, rather than in the standard 90 days, the governor had to certify that it was required for “the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or convenience” (source). Presumably the most urgent issue for Massachusetts taxpayers is getting the Federal government to take over paying for health insurance for our poorer citizens. Two years ago we implemented the kind of mandatory insurance scheme that Barack Obama is now trying to institute for the entire nation. The expected cost savings did not materialize, however, and the “reform” is going to cost billions of dollars more than budgeted.]
Perhaps, “the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety or convenience” should read, “the immediate preservation of the public expediency.”
Consider yourselves lucky those are your biggest problems. You could be selling your capitol http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-september-15-2009/arizona-state-capitol-building-for-sale
Why didn’t Kennedy just resign when he started his cancer treatment? In this way, the state of Massachusetts could’ve avoided all this nonsense about changing the rules about how a vacant Senate seat gets filled. Actually, I think we just need to rescind the 17th Amendment and let the state governments choose who fills the two seats (and shift government power towards the state as a consequence.)
Have you ever had a fluffernutter? It’s yummy goodness.
Jeff: Have I ever had a Fluffernutter sandwich? Not since earlier in the summer when I served Fluff-topped Oreos as a joke dessert during a barbecue. People ate them all! I had Fluff left over so it was Fluffernutters for several days afterwards.
But this ties in to a related, recurrent topic — “‘It can be a great educational tool,’ said Representative Antonio Cabral of New Bedford, a former co-chair of the committee.” Surely he’s referring to trends in obesity?
Or maybe not — “Massachusetts already has five official state foods, among the most in the country: the baked navy bean, corn muffin, chocolate chip cookie, Boston cream pie, and Boston cream doughnut.” The writer seems to mean greatest number of official foods — I checked back to be sure I hadn’t missed “most sugary.”