This just in: Lawmakers in Montpelier are churning out bills like mad. And some of them are just plain goofy. To that end, we’re introducing a new feature for Off Message: Kill This Bill! A look at the worst, weirdest, silliest and biggest-waste-of-time proposals to emerge from under the Golden Dome.

To date, House lawmakers have introduced 280 pieces of legislation, while their Senate counterparts have offered 112 bills. Most of those will never even get a hearing, much less become law. Hell, some don’t even originate with the lawmakers who put their names on them — it’s routine for legislators to file bills at the request of constituents back home.

But that doesn’t mean lawmakers won’t spend precious time considering this stuff. Exhibit A: Tomorrow afternoon, the House General, Housing and Military Affairs Committee is set to tackle the pressing matter of what should be the state dog. For reals. Rep. Warren Kitzmiller (D-Montpelier) and many others are sponsoring H.171, “An act relating to recognizing as the state dog any adopted dog.”

To which we say, kill this bill!

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Andy Bromage was a Seven Days staff writer from 2009-2012, and the news editor from 2012-2013.

3 replies on “New Feature: Kill This Bill!”

  1. Seriously, there are more important things to deal with. Citizens should stop bogging down the system with bills that mean a lot to a few, when we could be dealing with issues that mean a lot to many.

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