OTHER STATES: Virginia makes excuses

A lawmaker in Virginia is making excuses why he can't write a common-sense law on handling dangerous dogs:

"You're trying to codify common law. You're creating a whole new statutory mechanism. You're trying to solve all the problems of dangerous dogs in one bill, and it's difficult to do in a part-time legislature," said Del. Dave Albo, R-Fairfax. "You have to simplify it, otherwise it'll be nitpicked on things that aren't really at the heart of the bill."

This is exactly backwards: A full-time legislature writes all kinds of little nitpicks and loopholes into the law, which is what is wrong with most American state and federal laws. A part-time legislature gets to the heart of matter quickly and write the law as needed, because there's no time for the lobbyists to wine and dine their ridiculous attachments into a bill during a limited session.