Food Freedom Bills and an Outbreak of Reason

What if you could take a flamethrower to everything that was wrong with 2020: the lockdowns, the riots, campus speech codes, chokeholds, the endless emergency orders by fiat? The Indiana assembly has all that and much more in its sights this season. Isolate Grandma? She should soon be able to see a caregiver she's related to. Caught rioting? Three hots, a cot and no government job for you. States of emergency? Not without permission from the legislature, and they're in no mood for mission creep. Speakers you disagree with on campus? Grit your teeth or head for a safe space. Defund the police? LOL, the assembly is looking to repeal the law requiring licenses to carry handguns by persons not otherwise prohibited from doing so.

Also on the agenda: prohibition of conversion therapy, civil forfeiture reform, a ban on police chokeholds, decriminalization of marijuana, body cams and dash cams for the police, allowing pharmacists to prescribe and dispense birth control pills and patches, and making female genital mutilation a felony. The clouds are breaking; the whole world hasn't gone crazy.

Indiana state capitol building. Photo by Massimo Catarinella.

Remember the run on groceries last year? Possibly in response, along with other factors, the assembly has several bills to increase food freedom.

Oases! Establishment of food desert grant programs.

Farm to fork! Allows sale of meat products from custom exempt slaughtering establishments.

Food trucks! Provides a statewide license for food trucks, without local fees or permits.

4H! Allows schools to purchase up to $7,500 of food per year from a youth agricultural program.

Hot coffee! "Micromarkets" can include hot beverages. A micromarket is a self-service kiosk you can purchase fresh food and beverages from.

Cold lemonade! Allows minors to operate refreshment stands free of fees, licenses and most regulations.

Cold beer! Lets you buy it at the grocery store.

Cottage food! Allows home cooks to sell their products in person, by phone or online.

Urban farming! Allows urban land to be rezoned as agricultural.

Good grief, did a new Age of Reason creep up on us? It may be February, but I feel like I could look outside and see blossoms on the trees. This year-long winter finally feels like it's nearing the end.

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