Lame and lamer

If one of your laws has been widely ridiculed, it's probably not a good idea to respond by making it even dumber:

Indiana legislators are disagreeing about how old someone should look before they have to provide identification when buying alcohol.

Both the House and Senate have approved bills revising a much-ridiculed state law that took effect last summer requiring store clerks to card all carry-out alcohol customers regardless of their age.

Those bills have said clerks wouldn't need to check IDs on customers who appear older than 40. But the Senate Public Policy Committee voted 6-3 on Wednesday to set that carding provision for those appearing 50 or older.

You know what's coming next. They'll compromise on 45 and pat themselves on the back for their brilliant negotiating skills.

Letting the liquor stores go back to having the responsibility for age determination can be defended with good arguments. So can taking all discretion out of the hands of clerks. It depends on whether your primary concern is promoting local control and individual responsibility or doing more to thwart teen drinking. But this halfway stuff is just lame.