Mississippi House Passes Bill Affirming Right to "Eat 20 Big Macs," Guzzle "1,000 Sodas" [View all]

[ashtonelijah]

In an unbelievable waste of taxpayer money and legislative time, the Mississippi House of Representatives passed Wednesday HB 1182, a bill meant to affirm the right of citizens of the fattest state in the nation to keep getting fatter.

"If you wanna go eat 20 Big Macs, you can go eat 20 Big Macs," said Democratic Rep. Gregory Holloway, the bill's handler. "If you want 1,000 sodas, you can still do that" (That's a 14,600 calorie meal, as The Clarion Ledger points out).

It's been dubbed the "Anti-Mayor Bloomberg Bill" by opponents. Sure enough, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Jerry Turner, confesses that it is indeed the Anti-Mayor Bloomberg Bill. That's a reference to the anti-obesity New York City law that bans the sell of sodas larger than 16 ounces in restaurants and other vendors.

In a rousing speech that nearly caused some members of the Republican House to soil themselves in excitement, Turner defended the law on the basis of championing "personal liberty," drawing "hoots of approval" from fellow Republicans, who seem to have forgotten that they are representatives, not a load of fratasses.

What Turner doesn't mention, of course, is that the "personal liberty" bill that encourages Mississippians to get even fatter and even unhealthier comes at huge cost to the tax payers, who must shoulder the burden of a healthcare crisis in Mississippi that is caused, in large part, by our 35% obesity rate. That crisis also means that everyone else's healthcare premiums cost more, too. But don't tell the Mississippi Republicans that, who have spent years wondering why Medicaid costs the state so much. Don't tell Democrats like Holloway, either.

More: http://www.deepsouthprogressive.com/2013/02/mississippi-house-passes-bill-affirming_13.html