Tennessee is facing its highest unemployment rate in decades and a budget shortfall of billions of dollars. So what pressing role has the legislature taken up during this crisis?
According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, a House subcommittee has assumed the role of fashion police:
House Bill 2099 would make it a Class C misdemeanor for any person to knowingly wear pants below the waistline, in a public place, exposing underwear or bare buttocks.
Punishment:
First citation: $200 fine and 40 hours of community service work.
Second: $500 and 80 hours.
Third: $750 and 120 hours.
Fourth and subsequent citations: $1,000 and 160 hours.
Even in the best of times it would be hard to justify the legislature wasting time on this kind of thing. To do so under our present circumstances is simply ridiculous.