Kansas legislators have been casting a critical eye on the state's department of revenue, which has been struggling with severe organizational problems of late. For some lawmakers, the final straw came when the Legislative Division of Post Audit found that living taxpayers got letters claiming their refunds were delayed because they died without a beneficiary. "As you might imagine, that was one of the issues that raised a lot of questions among taxpayers," a Division of Post Audit spokesman told the Journal-World in Lawrence, Kan. Indeed.Skirmishing Over a Peace Symbol
For most people, doves are the living embodiment of peace. But that's not the case in the Iowa Legislature, where backers of an existing ban on dove hunting are trading potshots with those who want the banned removed. A bill that would set a dove hunting season passed the Senate last year and is still alive in Iowa's House. According to the Des Moines Register, anonymous death threats have been mailed to some members of the Iowa chapter of the Wildlife Legislative Fund of American, which supports dove hunting. House Speaker Brent Siegrist characterizes the threatening letters as "pretty bizarre."
Opening Arguments In the Key of 'C'
In Nashville, Tenn., traffic court judge Mark Fishburn allowed defendants to mount a novel defense. Nearly 100 people had their tickets retired and didn't have to pay fines after singing "Jingle Bells" before Fishburn and his courtroom. But only with the consent of the arresting officer, the Nashville Tennessean reports. "It was a spur-of-the-moment thing," Fishburn said. "Everybody seemed to be in a festive mood." Well, not quite. Two teenaged boys nabbed for doing 80 mph in a 45-mph zone probably didn't feel the holiday spirit. No amount of warbling would have sparred them the convictions Fishburn doled their way.
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