When a Duck is Dangerous

This session’s lame duck session, which ended yesterday, was a dangerous time for the state’s citizenry, as always.  Days ran long, and emotions high, while legislators tried to pass sundry bills and amendments that had languished, or been in hiding, for the run of this two-year session of the General Assembly.

Manufacturers and other businesses dealt with unemployment compensation reform, a gun bill that would deprive business property rights, municipal minimum wage pre-emption, an autism mandate, a ban on the manufacture of certain baby products, regulation of used tires, and assorted other issues behind the scenes.

By the way, the term “lame duck” was originally used in the 1700s at the London Stock Exchange to refer to someone who couldn’t pay his debts.  In modern American politics, the term now refers both to the period of time after an election but before the next session of a legislative body, and to an individual who is now incompetent but formerly was perhaps not.  12/8/2016