Florida Senate Doesn’t Like Deez Nutz
When state senators weigh in on matters of fashion, they are often pooh-poohed, as was the Virginia Senate when it considered a fine for underwear-revealing baggy pants.
The Tampa Tribune reported last week on legislation being considered by the Florida Senate that deals with car ornaments. Specifically, car ornaments shaped like part of the male anatomy. We don’t tend to see this type of ornamentation in the District, but apparently it’s a problem down in the Sunshine State.
In some parts of Florida it has become fashionable to attach [replica bull testicles] to the back of pickups, and at least one person, Sen. Carey Baker, is offended.Baker is sponsoring an amendment that would allow police to give drivers a $60 ticket if they had the object hanging from a vehicle. The amendment was added to a bill Thursday after an awkward discussion in which the Senate tried to debate the issue without being too graphic - with several schoolchildren watching from the galleries.
The provision was attached to a highway safety bill (SB 1992), but earlier this week there was an effort to take the language out of the bill. The discussion got a bit graphic, and Senate President Ken Pruitt told members that if the issue were going to come up again he wanted the discussion a bit more refined.
If any schoolchildren read ATL, we apologize for the graphic photo.
The debate does raise the important issue of freedom of speech. For now, the amendment has been dropped from the bill.
One senator was particularly defensive about the measure. He actually used to have testicles hanging from his vehicle, according to the Florida Sun-Sentinel:
Among those who have had the auto ornaments is Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville. Decorated in the garnet and gold of his alma mater, Florida State University, they hung on the back of his Suburban until his wife, Linda, demanded they be removed.
We were relieved to discover that Sen. King got his MBA from FSU, and not a JD.
Bill May Clip Truck Testicles [The Tampa Tribune via The Legal Satyricon]
Legislator crusades to ban rude ‘truck-nutz’ from bumpers [The Florida Sun-Sentinel]
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Hey, Kaz, did what's-his-name get at you yesterday?
Oh bull testicles!! It makes sense now.
Maybe someone should tell the Florida Senate that banning truck nutz would be a first amendment violation. This isn't the first time a state has tried to ban them. Not only did those bans fail to be passed, but the free publicity actually increased sales of the truck nutz.
I sincerely doubt that it's a 1st Amendment violation. There's no clear message expressed.
I like 'em!
Florida needs to get in line. Maryland's already on the case: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/22/AR2007022201426.html
Great opening line:
"Maryland Del. LeRoy E. Myers Jr. to truckers: If you've got 'em, you don't need to flaunt 'em."
This legislation is driving me nuts!
First Amendment? Clearly this law would violate the Equal Protection Clause because it would have a disparate impact on Rednecks, who always get strict scrutiny in my book!
1st amend. message: my truck is masculine.
Where is the V-monologue crowd?
Florida's not the classiest place in the world.
"Hey, Captain Hook, why is there a ship's wheel attached to your pantaloons?"
"Yarrr, it's driving me nuts."
It is really a safety issue. A few weeks ago, a pair of nutz fell off a truck, crashed through the windshield of a following car and landed in Condoleezza Rice's mouth. She has never had nutz anywhere near her face before, nevermind in her mouth. She was appalled. Ipso facto, this law.
Perhaps the legislature can address this issue if they do it carefully. Rather than targeting these items specifically and running into first amendment problems, they should craft the legislation from a highway safety standpoint and include language that would prohibit the attachment of objects to the exterior and undercarriage of vehicles -- and then have a list of exclusions covering trailer hitches and other standard attachments that can be updated as necessary by the appropriate state agency.
I just heard that one, 9:41!
I grew up in Florida and let me say it is not nearly as popular down there as it is up here in North Carolina. Nothing screams class and YeeHaw! like a bullsac hanging from the back of your pickup (have also seen it on an 80's body Ford Mustang).
And Lat wonders why law firms don't reply to his requests for information.......
Lat: "Yes, Mr. Managing partner, can you confirm or deny that your firm fired its contract attorneys?"
Partner: "No comment."
Lat: "Any comment on our recent expose about cow testicles on pick-up trucks?"
Partner: "Go away."
And another post by Kash with sexual conotations. Pervert. I love you.
Gators wear jean shorts
I need some for my laptop docking station.
10:15 - the correct terminology is "Jorts"
Kash,
The Sun-Sentinel is not the "Florida Sun-Sentinel." It's just the Sun-Sentinel:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/services/sfl-whoweare,0,6547907.htmlstory
Don't obscenity laws cover this stuff? If this is legal, can you also put big pornographic pictures in your car windows for all to see?
8:35- Time to revisit Con Law. Baker v. Glover would probably be a good start. First, I would consider it a stretch to say that fake plastic nutz appeal to the prurient interest.
Second, if a bumper sticker inviting motorists to call 1-800-eat-my-shit if they don't like a truckers driving was both protected and found to have a political message, I see no reason to think that truck nutz fail to express a political message. Perhaps truck drivers are trying to show how stupid it is to drive a hybrid with no power, towing, or off-road capacity. It seems like every Prius I see these days has a bumper sticker hating on trucks/hummers, etc. Truck nutz could certainly be taken a response, albeit a crude one.
9:46
“It is really a safety issue. A few weeks ago, a pair of nutz fell off a truck, crashed through the windshield of a following car and landed in Condoleezza Rice's mouth. She has never had nutz anywhere near her face before, nevermind in her mouth. She was appalled. Ipso facto, this law.”
9:53
“And another post by Kash with sexual conotations. Pervert. I love you.”
Do these posts imply that Kash would not be appalled by a pair of nutz in and around her facial exterior and interior …
Sorry Kash, couldn't resist. Love your posts.
What graphic photo? (A sack with a couple oranges in it?)
Seriously, what is behind the fad?
My guess--a high concentration of divorced females who did well in court (a little TOO well, from the looks of it).
I think every Prius should be sold with a plastic cow's vagina hanging off the back.
Geeze - why all the Prius hating? Have a bunch of Saudi princes / Russian oil magnates infiltrated ATL's comments?
When I back up and a prius is parked behind me, my truck nutz tend to teabag the hood.
Speaking of big swinging nuts doing what they do best, does anybody have a good link to the Enumclaw stallion video? The one in my bookmarks has gone dead, and I can't find another one.
Thanks!
Hey Lat, whats wrong with a law degree from FSU!?!?!?
60K for law school to allow me to make 130K in a city where it is 80 degrees all year- who is laughing now?
Actually, they're replica squirrel, not bull.
See:
http://www.trucknutz.com/daq.asp
Wait until the Senators find out about all the horses and bulls in Florida. They are displaying swangin' testicles right out in the open where children can see them. Something must be done!
The politicians are only mad cuz we swang our NUTZ freely & they're stuck lookin at theirs in a locked box thanks to the wife/warden. GROW A SET!!!
[April 21, a guest posted] "I sincerely doubt that it's a 1st Amendment violation. There's no clear message expressed."
- - Sorry bub, all expression is "speech" and nothing says anything about "clear message."
Most political speech would not pass that test.
I think these are funny, whether puttin truck nuts on your ride OR looking for
THE ORIGINAL BULLS BALLS that you eat,
I’ve got some funny pics and articles at my blog if you’d like to take a peek
http://reporter666.wordpress.com/