by Dave "Doctor" Gonzo

Monday, June 28, 1999 -- Who says nothing is happening at the state level these days?

My thanks to Bruce Duffie, who emailed me this list of some of the more notable achievements from state legislative bodies across our great nation -- the good, the bad and the just plain egregiously goofy. Enjoy!

In Alabama, teachers who have unsupervised access to students will now have to be fingerprinted and undergo background checks.

School districts in Nevada will now be allowed to hire a chief of school police.

In Louisiana, talking back to a teacher is now against the law; and students in kindergarten through fifth grade must address teachers with a courtesy title such as "sir" or "ma'am."

Teens who light up a cigarette n South Dakota can be fined for every cigarette they smoke, and so can the merchant who sold them the pack.

In Indiana and Tennessee, there are new laws requiring parental consent for body piercing.

In Utah, the marriage age goes up to 16 (from 14).

In Florida, teen-age girls will have to wait up to 48 hours for an abortion, to give doctors time to notify their parents.

New Hampshire becomes the last state to grant Martin Luther King, Jr. a permanent holiday; another law there now allows homosexuals to adopt children.

Washington outlaws lying by politicians in campaign ads and calls for creation of a registry of insurance claims that should be payable to Holocaust victims or their relatives.

New Mexico has come up with an official state question: "Red or Green?" The query is to determine which type of chili sauce diners prefer.

Vermont now allows needle exchange programs for the first time.

Idaho has rescinded the $1,000 limit on awards for charity rubber duck races.

South Carolina officially legalizes interracial marriages, outlaws the sale of urine, and declares the spotted salamander the official state creature.

Florida now allows sheriffs to sell stray livestock to nearest auction to recoup cost of capturing it.

Tennessee and Indiana now require parental consent for body piercing of young people, and Tennessee also requires consent for tattoos.

Georgia allows breast-feeding a baby in public, provided the mother "acts in a discreet and modest way."

Utah protects Good Samaritans from being sued for damages done while they use a defibrillator to jump start heart attack victims. They also have legalized elk hunting, with some restrictions.

In Hawaii, the hula, which was once banned by missionaries as a "heathen practice," has now become the official state dance.