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Byron Rushing makes his yearly effort to outlaw stupid laws

By adamg on Tue, 01/27/2009 - 12:10pm

Boston Daily reports state Rep. Byron Rushing has once again introduced a bill to strip the Mass. General Laws of a bunch of archaic sections, including ones that declare the Communist Party to be subversive, ban tattooing by anybody other than a physician and make fornication, lascivious acts and sex with an animal crimes (the latter punishable by up to 20 years in jail!).

The Roxbury/Fenway rep has been filing this sort of legislation annually since at least 2004 (read up on his 2008 and 2007 efforts), but apparently his fellow legislators are very concerned about unleashing an epidemic of Communists tattooing cows before performing lascivious acts on them.

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Byron Rushing


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Comments

By abu lafia on Tue, 01/27/2009 - 12:32pm.

This repeated, and failed, efforts to get bad old laws off the books should serve as a warning. The legislature should spend much more time deliberating, open up public discussion, and should hesitate before passing poorly considered and poorly drafted new bills. The unintended consequences of most of today's legislation far outweights any perceived benefit and it is nearly impossible, once passed, to reverse the damage.

By ShadyMilkMan on Tue, 01/27/2009 - 12:44pm.

It only makes sense to sit down and get rid of everything that doesnt make sense in the books. Unfortunatly I dont trust anyone to be able to do it the right way, Im sure someone would try to get rid of a law that they just dont like. IMO and Im sure the representative feels the same way, we should get rid of any law that a judge would look at and refuse to enforce... Although I do wonder what the impetus for getting rid of the animal fornification article is, seems like an odd addition to the mix.

By adamg on Tue, 01/27/2009 - 12:47pm.

You only tend to read about animal fornication cases in the Pacific Northwest.

Ducks and runs, oh, Swirlygrrl, how are you today?

By issacg on Tue, 01/27/2009 - 12:54pm.

While it might sound like a good idea to purge the General Laws of these "old" laws, the previous poster is correct with respect being careful about the unintended (and even worse, unanticipated) consequences of haphazard lawmaking. A thorough examination of the case history and cross-references to each law would have to be undertaken. That said, some of them could probably be dispatched with safely.

On the other hand, you have to chuckle about having some of these laws on the books.

From the list of Greatest Hits, and the one Adam mentioned, G.L. c. 272 s. 34:
ยง 34. Sodomy and Buggery.

Whoever commits the abominable and detestable crime against nature, either with mankind or with a beast, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than twenty years.

By carpundit on Tue, 01/27/2009 - 1:25pm.

State prison?
Ironic.

By independentminded on Thu, 01/29/2009 - 10:58pm.

The animal fornication law I don't care about. The one that considers the Communist Party subversive-do away with that, maybe. As for banning tattoo-ing except by a physician, well, I'd tend to agree with that, because tattoo-ing has been associated with the spread of numerous infections, including hepatitis, AIDS, and other infections, because, historically, the eqipment used isn't always that sanitary. Therefore, yes, letting a physician tattoo you is probably better.

By ShadyMilkMan on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 5:56am.

I'd tend to agree with that, because tattoo-ing has been associated with the spread of numerous infections, including hepatitis, AIDS, and other infections, because, historically, the eqipment used isn't always that sanitary. Therefore, yes, letting a physician tattoo you is probably better.

While I agree thats not the current working law in the state. Either enforce it or get rid of it.

By independentminded on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 9:34am.

I say:

While I agree thats not the current working law in the state. Either enforce it or get rid of it.

Put some teeth into the law...enforce it!

By Byron Rushing on Tue, 02/03/2009 - 1:13pm.

If you are intersted in repealing any or all of these archaic or unconstitutional laws, please contact your state representative and your state senator and ask them to sign on to Rep. Rushing's archaic law bill.
See http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php
for your legislator's contact information.