There's an old saying about how nobody needs to see how laws and sausages are made. They say it for a reason. Squeezing raw meat into hog casings is nasty, and sifting through the 877 bills approved during the Virginia General Assembly's 2010 session is not for the squeamish either.
The Boo Bill (HB 869)
The Good News: You can wear a mask in public when the governor declares a "mask-appropriate" emergency.
The Bad News: The bill refers to "medically necessary" masks, not the zombie clown getup you wore last Halloween.
Buck, Yeah (HB 1283)
The Good News: It is now legal to possess shed antlers (deer antlers left behind naturally by bucks in the wild).
The Bad News: You still can't wear them for pictures at the DMV.
A Round of Shots (HB 505)
The Good News: It is now legal in Virginia to carry a concealed weapon into an establishment serving alcohol ... as long as you don't drink alcohol.
The Bad News: It's hard to look tough with a milk mustache.
Sgt. Rockfish (SB 243)
The Good News: When on leave, active- duty members of the military are now allowed to fish without a license (this does not apply to stocked trout lakes).
The Bad News: They risk their lives for our country. But we draw the line at trout?
Booty Call Buster (HB 741)
The Good News: Anyone who sends obscene, vulgar, profane, lewd, lascivious or indecent e-mails or texts to your phone is now guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.
The Bad News: Last call just got less interesting.
Law ‘n' Order (HB 38)
The Good News: Spotsylvania residents who fail to keep residential grass and weeds from growing higher than 12 inches get a court-ordered mow from the county.
The Bad News: Local government charges considerably more than the kid down the street.
Robots in Disguise (HB 215)
The Good News: Automatic-dialing robots used during elections to call voters cannot falsify their identity via Caller ID.
The Bad News: Candidates can still deploy polling cyborgs in disguise as Betty White.
Bus-ted (HB 1353)
The Good News: It is now a Class 1 misdemeanor to possess or drink alcohol while transporting children on a school bus.
The Bad News: It took them until now to pass this bill?
