Legislature has better things to do

Shouldn’t Indiana’s lawmakers actually get back to their seats in Indianapolis before inviting ridicule?
With 2011 still winding down, Sen. Vaneta Becker had Hoosiers chuckling and shaking their heads over a particularly inane piece of proposed legislation.
Her issue?
The national anthem.
The Evansville Republican wants to set specific performance standards for “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Now we’ve heard some lame renditions of the song, but the legislature has more pressing business, or it ought to.
Apparently, Sen. Becker heard a performance where someone tinkered with the lyrics in a way she didn’t like.
Any number of performers have forgotten the words, and plenty of them struggle with the vocal range that’s called for.
But it isn’t a bad performance the senator’s worried about, it’s any version that is deemed inappropriate.
And it would be up to the Indiana Department of Education, which has nothing better to do, to come up with specific standards.
No special lyrics.
No vocal “embellishments.”
Just do it the way the senator wants it.
Our guess is there are plenty of representatives and state senators who groaned inwardly when Sen. Becker’s proposal surfaced.
They know they’ve got some big, contentious issues ahead, right to work and the state’s sudden $310 million “surprise” among them.
Don’t be surprised if the cooler heads involved figure out a way to put the Becker proposal on a back shelf so more serious work can get done by the state legislature. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]