The Blue-State Blues

It's Bozo Day in California, otherwise known as the state legislature's deadline for submitting stupid-ass bills this session. Among the stinkers listed in this L.A. Times info-grahpic (reg. required):

* A $500 fine for displaying "sexually explicit material in a vehicle in public."
* Sixteen-month prison sentences for adults who "knowingly and unlawfully consum[e] controlled substances in the presence of children under their care."
* A ban on schools using the mascot "Redskins."

My favorite, though, is the "Truth in Sports Advertising Act," proposed specifically by Santa Ana Democrat Tom Umberg to punish my favorite baseball team for using the admittedly comical name "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim."

Under the bill, California pro sports teams that use one geographical area in their name but play in another would have to disclose that fact, in much the same way federal law requires cigarette containers and advertisements to include warnings about the dangers of smoking.

The bill would require disclaimers in letters at least 12 inches high on billboards and for at least five seconds in television ads, among other restrictions.