Irritable Government Syndrome

The Police State and the Nanny State often join forces to pass idiotic laws. Today’s example is the right to poop law that was passed by the Texas Legislature.

HB 416, which Rick Perry signed, creates a new criminal offense for business that do not allow those with certain medical conditions to use the employee restroom.

Basically, if you have a business and do not provide a public restroom a customer can present a doctor’s letter and use your toilet. There is no penalty for writing a fake doctor’s letter so if you have always wanted to use the john at Tiffanys this is your chance.

The bill makes a new misdemeanor offense to assure access to the toilet. I predict this law, like all bad laws, will rarely be enforced.

If a business wants to cater to customers with chronic diahrea they will have a public restroom. If not, let them run their business as they see fit. Do not create another criminal law just because it sounds good. Making everything criminal undermines the legitimacy of the criminal justice system.

Who lobbied for this? Our lege could not fix the property tax but had time to pass this? Law enfrocement resources are too important to waste on feel good posturing.

Labels: Texas