Last week we had what we call a perennial bill before us on the House floor. That is, a bill which appears before us year after year.

The bill would require children under the age of 12 to wear a life jacket while on a boat, unless that boat is anchored. Make no mistake – Mariah and I insist our children wear life jackets whenever we are on the water, and I strongly encourage the use of life jackets regardless of age.

But to me, this bill is a 'nanny-istic' attempt to replace the common sense of a parent with the collective wisdom of the legislature.

Recognizing that the vast majority of Delegates are from urban places and, therefore, do not have the experience around the water that we enjoy, I gave the following speech against the bill on the House floor:

My dad used to tell a story about a hard working guy who wasn’t that bright who had been hired by the highway department.
 
The supervisor knowing he had to be “task specific” assigned the man to paint lines on the highway.  “Put the paintbrush in the bucket,” the supervisor instructed. “Paint a stripe.  Put the paintbrush back in the bucket.  Paint another stripe.”
 
The first day of work, the man painted five miles of stripes.  The second day, three miles.  The third day, only one mile.
 
When the supervisor asked what was going on, the employee said "Boss I keep working harder and harder, but it keeps getting to be a longer walk back to that bucket."