RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- Virginia lawmakers dropped their droopy-pants bill Thursday after the whole thing became just too embarrassing.
The bill, which would have slapped a $50 fine on people who wear their pants so low that their underwear is visible in "a lewd or indecent manner," passed the state House on Tuesday but was killed by a Senate committee in a unanimous vote.
Republican Sen. Thomas K. Norment said news reports implied that lawmakers were preoccupied with droopy pants.
"I find that an indignation, which dampens my humor," Norment said.
Republican Sen. Kenneth Stolle, the committee chairman, called the bill "a distraction."
The committee hearing drew a standing-room-only crowd that included about 75 government students from Surry County High School.
"If people in Florida can wear bikinis, a little underwear showing isn't going to hurt anybody," 17-year-old Elvyn Shaw said.
The bill's sponsor, Democratic Delegate Algie T. Howell, declined to answer reporters' questions Thursday but issued a statement saying the bill "was in direct response to a number of my constituents who found this to be a very important issue."
He has said the constituents included customers at his barber shop who were offended by exposed underwear.
That is a wise and reasonable decision.
If the state of Texas cannot legally tell two men to refrain from sodomy, then the state of Virginia certainly has no right to worry about a little exposed underwear. Besides, people just have problems with their underwear sometimes!
Not to belabor a point, but this issue has gotten to such an extent in the Milwaukee public school system that they had to enforce dress codes and uniforms in some schools.
I've seen kids at the bus stop that were wearing pants that were easily 1 foot in diameter too big around the waste and they wore suspenders that held their pants just BELOW their butt cheeks.
Part of that bill should have been to educate the brats running around with their drawers around their ankles about where this practice originated from.
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We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a civilization, it expects what never was and what never will be.
Well, if he wants to visit, we'll have to make the best of it. I'll send him an invitation.
***After careful review and consultation with the wife, I've decided to remove this pic. I know some people won't get the morbid humor, and I don't want to cause unwanted outside attention. MJ isn't even worth it, and I'm sure the court will take care of him itself. ***
My understanding from talking with a cop is that (the cops) actually like this look. It is much harder to run away with the crotch of your pants around your knees.
Virginians, you may drop your pants
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