Wow. I thought I’d seen it all. And my friends, let me tell you, I’ve seen a lot, but I have never seen this.
Back during crossover, Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Greensboro Democrat, got a little bill (H 1353) through the House that would prohibit cities and counties from adopting blanket prohibitions on clotheslines.
The idea, according to Harrison, is to allow people who want to save energy by hanging out their laundry (rather than use their dryers) even if some folks in the community turn up their nose at the idea. Originally, the bill started out as an effort to keep homeowners associations from adopting restrictive covenants prohibiting clotheslines, but Harrison took that out of the bill after getting a lot of resistance.
So the bill came before the Senate Commerce Committee today … and it was doomed.
There was philosophical opposition, yes.
“I also think we ought to let cities and counties to elect local ordinances that govern these types of things, I don’t think the state should have an umbrella ordinance for clotheslines…we just can’t legislate everything,” said Sen. Malcolm Graham.
But you really knew the bill was going down when Senators started openly mocking it.
“Is there any kind of a dress code required when you’re hanging out your clothes,” asked Sen. Tony Rand. The question was a sideswipe at what was being whispered around the committee table: who wants to see their neighbors’ unmentionables? (Or, not to put too fine a point on it, who wants to see a senator’s unmentionables?)
As other members asked questions of staff, a few Senators had a separate dialogue going.
“So what they’re saying is if it’s your own property we can string our panties up,” Sen. Debbie Clary said to Graham, prompting Graham to reply, “String it up baby!”
Clary continued, questioning how people down at the beach might feel about watching other people’s undies flap in the ocean breeze.
“I can just see Clark stringing up his underwear on the line right outside the beach house,” Sen. Debbie Clary said, referring to Sen. Clark Jenkins.
The News-Record
I can’t quote the entire article, so I encourage you to visit the News-Record Web site and read the rest because it’s quite a hoot.
Look, I understand what Pricey Harrison was trying to do and I support her in principle, although probably not according to her exact principles. She sees this bill as a combatant to global “warming.” I see it as an attempt to protect private property rights. Both can be categorized as noble causes (even though I don’t believe in man made global “warming”). However, when she allowed an exemption for HOAs she in effect neutered her own bill.
All that aside, this was a sad, sad day in North Carolina legislative history when our lawmakers have to take time out of their day to debate whether or not they, the government, will be the guardians of our laundry. A sad day indeed.
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