The law and the jungle

I've expressed some ambivalence about laws forbidding texting while driving. My anti-nannystatism inclines me to be against them, but my knowledge that those texters could hit me makes me put texting  in the same category as driving drunk (laws against which even staunch libertarians tend to support). Here's an argument against such laws:

Indiana is bucking the nationwide trend of fewer children being taken away from families because of abuse or neglect charges -- only five states, all with much larger child populations -- removed more children in 2009 than Indiana.

Are legislators going to try to fix something that doesn't need to be fixed?

Legislators of both parties say they are ready to revamp a state law that took effect this summer requiring anyone buying carryout alcohol in Indiana to show a photo ID.

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I wonder if City Councilwoman Liz Brown wishes she had kept her mouth shut. In July, she proposed changes to existing anti-begging laws that would exempt charitable organizations and "buskers" such as street musicians who perform in exchange for volunary donations. Now, a fellow council member has upped the stakes:

Constitutionally speaking, City Councilman Tim Pape figures, there's not much difference between begging and busking.

Indiana's gun-friendliness gets it on a list Paul Helmke will make much of:

Nearly half of the guns that crossed state lines and were used in crimes in 2009 were sold in just 10 states, according to a report being released Monday by a mayors' group.

[. . .]

Just a tad hysterical?

More than a quarter million British children have been accused of racism since the country passed its Race Relations Act in 2000, the Daily Mail reports.

[. . .]

A little good news is always welcome on a Friday:

When retiring University of Illinois at Chicago professor Bill Ayers co-wrote a book in 1973, it was dedicated in part to Sirhan Sirhan, the assassin of Robert F. Kennedy.

That came back to haunt Ayers when the U. of I. board, now chaired by Kennedy's son, considered his request for emeritus status Thursday. It was denied in a unanimous vote.

[. . .]

Remember the Catch-22 in the book of the same title? To get out of a combat mission, you had to be delcared insane, but you had to ask for the evaluation. But asking for the evaluation was proof you wanted out of the mission, which is the sane thing to want, so you couldn't get out get out of the mission. The perfect gotcha.

This week's chutzpah award goes to Calumet County (Wis.) District Attorney Ken Kratz. He not only disgraced his office and abused his power by harassing a woman with his sexting; he preyed on her when she was at her most vulnerable -- during the prosecution of her boyfriend (by Kratz!) for abusing her. Yet he plans to fight plans by the governor to remove him:

If two counties are reported having trouble with medical bills for prisoners, there are likely others we haven't heard from yet, so consider this a possible trend. Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries is requesting $229,000 extra because, among other expenses, six inmates with serious problems have received more than $99,000 in care since March. St.