The law and the jungle

These murder-suicide sickos just can't seem to get the order of the shootings right:

A father shot to death his 8-year-old daughter before taking his own life this afternoon on the Eastside, police said.

My current hero:

A South Carolina lawmaker says underage military servicemen and women should be allowed to drink alcohol.

Rep. Fletcher Smith has sponsored legislation that would allow service members younger than 21 to purchase alcohol if they show a military identification card to a bartender or store clerk.

South Carolina state law prohibits the sale or possession of alcoholic beverages by anyone under 21.

Most people are shocked when they first discover that inmates don't really serve the sentences they are given. Because of the "good time" credits they earn and other incentives, even violent felons can get out in less than half the time they are sentenced to. So this seems like a good idea:

State prison inmates would be required to serve 85 percent of their sentences under legislation the House approved Monday night.

The "abortion information" bill was approved by the Indiana Senate 39-9, but some changes were made. It was going to say that women considering an abortion must be told that a fetus feels pain. But now:

Women seeking an abortion would be told that there is differing medical evidence about whether a fetus feels pain under legislation approved by the Senate 39-9 today.

The proposal to punish Indiana businesses that "knowingly employ" illegal immigrants is still alive in the General Assembly. For those who think such a law won't work, consider the Arizona experience:

PHOENIX, Arizona (AFP) — One month after Arizona introduced a law cracking down on businesses which employ illegal immigrants, Latino workers are fleeing the state and companies are laying off employees in droves, officials and activists say.

[. . .]

A new member of the City Council wants to revisit a controversial ordinance:

City Councilman Marty Bender, R-at-large, said Tuesday night he will ask council to reconsider the smoking ban, and is drafting a proposal. Benderwas vague on specifics other than to say “they'll be some minor changes.”

“It'll be a surprise,” he said. He did not say when he might introduce his proposal.

Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries wants to give some of his officers extra arrest powers. Working within a program already in place by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcemnt (ICE),  those officers would have the power to arrest people for immigration violations if they are also charged with serious felonies or driving while intoxicated. The arrest powers could be used only in those officers' normal course of duty, according to ICE regulations.

It's the 35th anniversary today of Roe v. Wade, one of the worst Supreme Court decisions ever made, along with Dred Scott and a few others. When some of us passionately rail against the court making up constitutional rights out of thin air, this is the case that usually comes up first.

Most of the controversy about public libraries and obscenity these days has been about whether or not Internet "porn filters" should be installed. But now comes a protest so low-tech it seems quaint:

Fort Wayne man is on a mission to ban what he calls pornography at the Allen County Public Library.

For the "with friends like this, he doesn't need enemies" file:

ST. PAUL, Minnesota - In a legal effort to help a U.S. senator, the American Civil Liberties Union is arguing that people who have sex in public bathrooms have an expectation of privacy.