Useful Laws and Other Random News

Some interesting news in the Washington Post today. Fairfax County seems to be talking about reinstating the decal because of budget deficits...despite the decal just having been eliminated a few years ago (the article says 2006). Also, apparently the "I Voted" stickers were cut from the budget :(

In better news though, starting today Virginia drivers can't legally text or read e-mail while driving (how is that even possible to do safely, in any sense?). There's also supposedly a new law in Maryland that'll promote bookstore competition in regards to buying textbooks; colleges have to provide information to allow students to shop around, as it were. I don't know how that'll be different from what I do now, since the Title, Author, and Edition of the books is already available. It would be nice if the ISBN number were released though.

The law that I'm most excited about is the smoking ban in most Virginia restaurants that goes into effect on December 1st. It's already illegal to smoke in Maryland (or just Montgomery County?) restaurants, so this will be a welcome change at some of the restaurants I go to. Smoking areas don't usually work all that well, but apart from that, lines should get shorter too (smoking areas tend to be underseated).

Citations:
Ailing Budget May Lead Fairfax Back to Car Tax
Prohibition On Texting By Drivers Starts in Va.; State, Md. Plan To Launch Other Laws Today, Too