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It seems like if the Legislature were to “ban” something, it wouldn’t have to keep passing bills session after session to “ban” that same thing.
Yet, here we are again, more than a year after Governor Jan Brewer claimed she outlawed the sale and use of the substances known as “bath salts,” and two years after she said the same of “spice,” Legislators are touting another bill that’s supposed to, um, ban bath salts and spice.
See also:
–Jan Brewer Touted Ban on Spice, Bath Salts, but Lawmakers Still Trying to Ban Both
–Jan Brewer Set To Sign “Bath Salts” Bill, Which Still Leaves “Bath Salts” Legal
–Bath Salts: Our Told-Ya-So Moments on “Ban” Continue
House Bill 2327, the latest fake “ban” on the substances, passed the Senate yesterday, and was sent back to the House for approval.
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The bill’s sponsored by Republican Representative Eddie Farnsworth — who’s already conceded that it’s not a ban — and according to this propaganda piece from 3TV, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery appears to be a big fan of the bill.
Even the dorks at the Arizona Republic appear to be big fans, giving Farnsworth an “A” for the legislation, which the Republic says will ban “poisons” from being sold, a rating and a word that are completely disingenuous.
“This proposal identifies the ‘root’ of the chemical composition which is changed to develop a mind-altering drug that is different from the formula that is outlawed,” the meeting minutes from the House Judiciary Committee say. “[Farnsworth] opined that this will not stop the problem but it takes a big step in the right direction.”
An attorney from the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council said it’s a great idea because it “sends a message” to retailers that selling bath salts and spice can be risky, which sounds like a terrible excuse from someone defending terrible legislation.
The committee also noted that both state and federal “analog” laws are the subject of pending lawsuits, and it can be argued that this is an “analog” law, too.
The point is, the umpteenth “ban” on bath salts and spice still doesn’t do it.
