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New Jersey! Every day there is a new law out banning or restricting people's rights in some way. The latest laws were the ticketing for cell phone usage while driving(following CA of course),now I think I even heard about them banning minors from drinking energy drinks!
Btw a previous poster mentioned Massachusetts,with that state being a commonweath(one that makes it's own laws,like PA)I can't see how there would be as many restrictive laws there.
New Jersey! Every day there is a new law out banning or restricting people's rights in some way. The latest laws were the ticketing for cell phone usage while driving(following CA of course),now I think I even heard about them banning minors from drinking energy drinks!
Btw a previous poster mentioned Massachusetts,with that state being a commonweath(one that makes it's own laws,like PA)I can't see how there would be as many restrictive laws there.
All states make their own laws, outside of those laws under federal jurisdiction. An example of a true U.S. commonwealth is Puerto Rico. If I'm not mistaken, the four states that call themselves "commonwealths" (MA, PA, VA, KY) are technically no different from any other states in their form of government, but refer to themselves as commonwealths in a way that has the general meaning of "political community." Commonwealth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Whatever the meaning of commonwealth, you may need to adjust your perception of Massachusetts. Just a sampling: no smoking allowed in indoor public places, workplaces, etc., including bars, anywhere in the state; first passed a mandatory-seat-belt-use law in the mid '80's; some of the nation's most restrictive gun laws; there's been a push for a number of years now to completely eliminate soda, candy, cookies, fatty foods, etc., from school stores and snack bars, so that students don't even have the option to choose a purchase of anything except veggie chips, pure juice, etc., with a push in some of the more left-wing cities in the last couple of years to make this a state law, since some school systems have gone further with this than others.
I could debate the assertion that restrictive laws favored by conservatives are in the same league as left-wing "nanny-state" laws, but that would take a book, and would start a discussion that would knock this thread into the politics forum. Those laws are worth mentioning here, because MA can be restrictive from both directions, which again shows that you need to lose any picture you have of a state that does not regulate personal behavior. In MA, you get regulated from both directions. A sampling of MA laws/policies from the right: one of the first states (maybe the first?) to impose a per se policy on suspected dwi, where refusal to take a brethalyzer test results in an automatic license suspension, without due process (went into effect in mid '80's); back in the '70's (maybe '80's--I forget) was when the blue laws barring any stores other than drugstores and convenience stores from being open on Sunday were repealed, against STRONG resistance; bars in most towns close at 1AM; no more than one drink at a time per barroom customer (sorry, no shots and beers); technically, beer and wine sales in grocery stores are illegal, though a few stores use a loophole where these beverages are sold in a completely separate section and rung separately, kind of like a store within a store; it was only in the last several years (maybe five years ago, give or take, not sure the exact year, but in the current decade) that Sunday carryout liquor sales were first made legal; MA was the last state to institute right turn on red, which they did only under threat of losing federal funding, and was one of the last states to raise speed limits when the trend of lowered speed limits in the '70's was reversed in the '80's.
In MA, the culture seems to reflect a strain of puritanism that has been passed down through the centuries since the original Puritans, and now the state is a bastion of the pc nanny-state regulate-us-for-our-own-good left-wing crowd as well. As a result, you get regulated from both directions in this rather restrictive state.
California regulates cigarettes w/ heavy taxation & restrictions on where people are allowed to smoke tobacco. But, at the same time, California has essentially legalized marijuana.
Its interesting how people use the word “socialism” like it is still McCarthyism [most likely Republicans still fighting the "Red Menace" except that now includes radical Islamists]. The Green Party has many members in California but never win any elections [other than city councils/school boards].
Gay marriage is likely to be legalized in several states; the same states where the Pledge of Allegiance & flags are shunned.
All states make their own laws, outside of those laws under federal jurisdiction. An example of a true U.S. commonwealth is Puerto Rico. If I'm not mistaken, the four states that call themselves "commonwealths" (MA, PA, VA, KY) are technically no different from any other states in their form of government, but refer to themselves as commonwealths in a way that has the general meaning of "political community." Commonwealth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Whatever the meaning of commonwealth, you may need to adjust your perception of Massachusetts. Just a sampling: no smoking allowed in indoor public places, workplaces, etc., including bars, anywhere in the state; first passed a mandatory-seat-belt-use law in the mid '80's; some of the nation's most restrictive gun laws; there's been a push for a number of years now to completely eliminate soda, candy, cookies, fatty foods, etc., from school stores and snack bars, so that students don't even have the option to choose a purchase of anything except veggie chips, pure juice, etc., with a push in some of the more left-wing cities in the last couple of years to make this a state law, since some school systems have gone further with this than others.
I could debate the assertion that restrictive laws favored by conservatives are in the same league as left-wing "nanny-state" laws, but that would take a book, and would start a discussion that would knock this thread into the politics forum. Those laws are worth mentioning here, because MA can be restrictive from both directions, which again shows that you need to lose any picture you have of a state that does not regulate personal behavior. In MA, you get regulated from both directions. A sampling of MA laws/policies from the right: one of the first states (maybe the first?) to impose a per se policy on suspected dwi, where refusal to take a brethalyzer test results in an automatic license suspension, without due process (went into effect in mid '80's); back in the '70's (maybe '80's--I forget) was when the blue laws barring any stores other than drugstores and convenience stores from being open on Sunday were repealed, against STRONG resistance; bars in most towns close at 1AM; no more than one drink at a time per barroom customer (sorry, no shots and beers); technically, beer and wine sales in grocery stores are illegal, though a few stores use a loophole where these beverages are sold in a completely separate section and rung separately, kind of like a store within a store; it was only in the last several years (maybe five years ago, give or take, not sure the exact year, but in the current decade) that Sunday carryout liquor sales were first made legal; MA was the last state to institute right turn on red, which they did only under threat of losing federal funding, and was one of the last states to raise speed limits when the trend of lowered speed limits in the '70's was reversed in the '80's.
In MA, the culture seems to reflect a strain of puritanism that has been passed down through the centuries since the original Puritans, and now the state is a bastion of the pc nanny-state regulate-us-for-our-own-good left-wing crowd as well. As a result, you get regulated from both directions in this rather restrictive state.
...Massachussetts is the State with the lowest road fatality rate in the US : 6.36 per 100k population against 14.24 national average. Congratulations Massachussetts!!!!!!!!!
Whenever I think of excessive regulation, taxes and generally making living more burdensome, I think of California. Some of the Northeast states for close seconds.
I'm surprised to see Michigan on your lists. I have lived in 4 states (MI, MN, MD, VA) and Michigan was the most free. The state didn't get too interested in what I was doing. MD, on the other hand, is much more interested in regulating everything. MN and VA are in the middle.
Since we've elected majority democrats in 2006 we've had the following laws passed:
1% State wide sales tax increase
Statewide smoking ban exempting casinos
$1 tax increase on all tobacco products
Seatbelt law
Accross the board truck registration fee increase. $400 increase in most cases
No property tax relief as promised . We have some of the highest rates in the nation.
10-20% increase in state officials' sallaries
Now everybody is upset but what did they expect from a bunch of democrats?
...Massachussetts is the State with the lowest road fatality rate in the US : 6.36 per 100k population against 14.24 national average. Congratulations Massachussetts!!!!!!!!!
There's a good reason for this. Massachusetts is a heavily urbanized state, and infrastructure is relatively close to even the most remote parts of the state. So, if there is a major car accident, for instance, the injured can have a medivac deployed to the site of the crash faster, as well as transport the victims back to the hospital in a more expeditious manner.
Its interesting how people use the word “socialism” like it is still McCarthyism [most likely Republicans still fighting the "Red Menace" except that now includes radical Islamists]. The Green Party has many members in California but never win any elections [other than city councils/school boards].
That's because it is a repugnant economic and social theory, one that leads to sclerotic economies and very little individual freedom.
Not based on data but on everytime I hear a news story or read a paper California is trying to tell you how to live your life, so I'd have to go with them. Now I don't know if they are the worst or they just suffer from too much publicity because it's a big media state (along with NY and DC). So if Vermont, for example, is worse, I may just not know it but for now, I'm going with California with all of its regulations and prop this and prop that.
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I understand now why...
. We have some of the highest rates in the nation.
