your govt in action

From World, news about one more silly regulation...

Barber Clyde Scott probably should have just taken his day off on Monday, May 19, as planned instead of opening up Clippa's Barber Shop in Houma, La., to cut the hair of a few soon-to-be [high school] graduates. The law says he shouldn't have. A police officer ticketed Scott on an obscure ordinance prohibiting barbers from cutting hair on Sundays or Mondays.

This reminds me of a Libertarian effort to bing attention to a similar set of laws regulating cosmetological services. Here's a report from WMUR-TV in NH:

A self-proclaimed manicurist decided to open for business in Concord on Monday without the state's approval, attacking state licensing laws with a nail file.

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Police Arrest Man For Giving Manicure

Michael Fisher, 23, of Newmarket, N.H., was arrested and charged with violating the state's license law. He said he organized the protest to call attention to what he said are needless obstacles facing small businesses in the state.

His first and only customer was Kat Dillon, of Frost, Texas, who said it was her first manicure. It was also Fisher's first time giving one."I'm going to buff it and shine it with one of these, a buffer, basically," he said.

The manicure performed without a license was undertaken right outside the state Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics office."The reason I'm doing this is because it's one of the harmless things I can do to prove that the law is unjust," Fisher said. "Without the government's permission, you can't do nails, hair, lot of other things." Fisher said his manicure movement was inspired by the movie "Ghandi" and backed by his fellow Free-Staters, who favor minimal government and maximum personal freedom. Dillon is also a member of the group, which has organized members to move to New Hampshire in an effort to influence the state adopt a more libertarian government.

"It's wrong for the state to tell you you can or can't open a business," Free-Stater Dave Ridley said.Fisher had advertised his protest, so it was no surprise when board inspectors arrived on the scene, and it was no surprise that Concord police soon followed." Initially, we were going to issue him a summons and release him on a summons to appear in court," Sgt. Roger Baker said. "He indicated he wouldn't stop, so at that point, it was a full custody arrest."Performing a manicure without a license is a misdemeanor. Fisher remains in Merrimack County Jail, refusing to see a bail commissioner. He will be arraigned Tuesday morning in Concord District Court. He said he plans to plead guilty to "help get the message out there."