“Don’t make me angry” Frank Antenori’s Dim Bulb Idea Advances

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

We told you about "Don't make me angry" Frank Antenori's dim bulb idea earlier this year:

Frank [Antenori] is itching for a fight with the federal government over national regulations on, of all things, light bulbs. Tucson lawmaker carries torch for light bulb battle with feds:

Rep. Frank Antenori, a freshman Republican from Tucson, said he is hoping one of his bills provokes lawsuits with the federal government that will challenge its use of the U.S. Constitution’s Commerce Clause.

That bill was approved Feb. 10 by the House Commerce Committee. It would allow light bulb manufacturers to make and sell incandescent light bulbs in Arizona, provided they don’t sell them in other states.

Antenori said that would allow Arizonans to continue using the bulbs past 2014, when the federal government has said all light bulbs sold in this country need to meet new efficiency standards.

If his bill, H2337, is signed into law, Antenori said he expects the federal government would determine that federal regulation pre-empts the state law because the feds are entitled to regulate interstate commerce under the Commerce Clause. But because the bulbs wouldn’t be sold in any other states, Antenori said Arizona could challenge that ruling in federal court.

“That will trigger a lawsuit, which is really the intent of this bill,” he told the committee. “This is a mechanism to let us go to court.”

In other words, Frank is a "Tenther," who still believes in the antiquated and entirely discredited theory of "nullification" of federal law by states advanced by John C. Calhoun during the time of Andrew Jackson. The nullification theory eventually led to secession and Civil War. Is that what you really want Frank? It is also based on a misreading of long-ago discarded "commerce clause" cases overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court decades ago. You're wasting your time, Frank.

The Arizona Legislature continues to waste its time on Frank's dim bulb "Tenther" idea as well. Senate OKs incandescents' extension:

The Senate on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to legislation that would allow the continued manufacture of incandescent light bulbs – the ones with those familiar tungsten filaments – after their production is banned in the rest of the country. With the House already having given its blessing, only a final roll-call vote sits between HB 2337 and the desk of Gov. Jan Brewer.

Sen. Frank Antenori, R-Tucson, said the issue is not just about what kind of light bulbs Arizonans get to buy and use.

Put quite simply, he wants the feds to stay out of things that are not its business. [Like the states should stay out of things that are not its business, like immigration? Just asking.]

Technically speaking, nothing in the 1997 law prohibits the manufacture of incandescent light bulbs. Instead, it sets efficiency standards for light bulbs sold beginning in 2014.

Paging Comedy Central — Jon? Steven?