The Laws We Live Under

For John, BLUF:  Our Legislatures, who we have elected, are passing too many laws.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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New laws are putting California further at odds with Trump

From the Associated Press, by Mr Don Thompson, 29 December 2018.

I don't much care that California is at odds with President Trump, and with most of the Nation.  That is part of the attraction of California; a place where you can reinvent yourself, the way you wish to.  From Death Valley Scotty to William Randolph Hearst to Kamala Devi Harris, wildly different people have found success in California.

However, this item bothers me:

Counting his two terms from 1975 to 1983, the state’s longest-serving governor vetoed 1,829 bills and saw 17,851 become law.

Assuming everything north of ten thousand signed bills were about appropriations, or about 500 a year (490), that still leaves a lot of new laws for individual citizens to absorb and obey.  What are the odds the individual citizens of California are learning about over 600 new (or revised) laws each year.  If ignorance of the law is no excuse, what excuse does the average citizen have?

Thank God for Trade Associations and Trade Unions and the like.  Such organizations hire people to keep an eye out for new laws, or potential new laws coming down the track.  That provides at least some warning for the average citizen.

Is it possible that there are too many laws on the books and State Legislatures across the nation should devote time to eliminating and consolidating laws?  The short answer is "yes".

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff