A BILL to be entitled an Act to amend Chapter 38 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to private detectives and security agencies, so as to revise a definition;

HB 1259 is back, and if anything it is worse. If this bill becomes law it will be a felony for CompUSA to remove virsuses from infected computers without a PI licence and a law enforcement professional on staff. If you are computer consultant and you respond a computer breakin you could face a year in prison under this statute.

This matter requires national attention from the IT Industry. Now.

Georgia General Assembly - HB 504

In New Mexico, anyone can work as an interior designer. But it is a crime, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to a year in prison, to list yourself on the Internet or in the Yellow Pages as, or to otherwise call yourself, an "interior designer" without being certified as such. Those who favor this censoring of truthful commercial speech are a private group that controls, using an exam administered by a private national organization, access to that title.

Who benefits? Creating artificial scarcity of services raises the prices of those entitled to perform the services.

This discussion and the linked editorial should resonate with people who are concerned about HB 504.

The Volokh Conspiracy - George Will on Rent-Seeking:

A push to legalize the Sunday sale of alcohol topped a list of bills that likely died in the Georgia Legislature on Monday.

The bills including a proposed hate crimes law, plans for Confederate History Month and Gov. Sonny Perdue's effort to clarify that church groups may receive state money were not among the ones that made it onto the Senate calendar for Tuesday.

WSB's Capitol Reporter Sandra Parrish reports Tuesday is the so-called Crossover Day in the Legislature. That's the 30th day of the 40-day session and the last on which a bill may pass in one chamber to be considered by the other.

This means that both SB 59 and HB 504 are dead for the year. MemeStreamers may rejoice..

However, you still can't buy booze on Sunday. I guess we can't have everything.

Crossover Day in the Georgia Legislature