You Must Be Less Than This Fat to Eat Here

We've all seen the signs at amusement park rides which dictate maximum or minimum heights to ride. Some legislators in Mississippi want something similar for their restaurants:

FEBRUARY 1--Mississippi legislators this week introduced a bill that would make it illegal for state-licensed restaurants to serve obese patrons. Bill No. 282, a copy of which you'll find below, is the brainchild of three members of the state's House of Representatives, Republicans W. T. Mayhall, Jr. and John Read, and Democrat Bobby Shows. The bill, which is likely dead on arrival, proposes that the state's Department of Health establish weight criteria after consultation with Mississippi's Council on Obesity. It does not detail what penalties an eatery would face if its grub was served to someone with an excessive body mass index.

First of all, is there anybody in Mississippi who isn't obese? This could put the restaurant industry right out of business.

Secondly, what are Republicans doing proposing nanny state legislation like this? Mayhall and Read should just go ahead and change their party affiliation right now because this is definately not a Republican approach.