Don't Tread on my Potluck Dinner!

Thank God Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle didn't use his veto pen this time!

Although he's quick to veto bills on school choice, a property tax cap, and requiring voters to show photo ID, he's keeping the government out of our potluck meals.

On Tuesday, the Governor signed Assembly Bill 454 into law. It "changes the legal definition of a restaurant to exempt potluck meals from health inspections and restaurant licensing."

According to an April 18 press release:

"It’s a Wisconsin tradition to gather with your family and community over a potluck lunch or dinner," said Governor Doyle. "In church basements and school gymnasiums across this state, you’ll find the some of the strongest communities and most delicious casseroles anywhere. We should always be concerned about sanitation and the public’s health, but potluck meals are certainly not the problem. We don’t need government intruding on our spaghetti dinners."

This is an example of feel good legislation,(unless of course a potluck dinner becomes the source of a mean food poisoning outbreak, that is).

Our potluck meals are now guaranteed to be free of government intrusion, (but not necessarily salmonella).

WOO HOO!

However, there is some confusion over the legislation.

The Capitol Times reports:

The bill had confused health inspectors across the state who said they already did not regulate potlucks and could provide no examples of meals that were ruined by regulation.

So, Doyle traveled to Mondovi to sign the bill at a potluck lunch, talking up the state's wonderful casseroles.

Doyle has his hand on the pulse of the people of Wisconsin.

WISCONSINITES WERE DESPERATE FOR LEGISLATION TO PROTECT THEIR POTLUCK MEALS FROM GOVERNMENT REGULATION.

HE HAD TO ACT!

Never mind that health inspectors didn't regulate the meals or shut down church potluck dinners in the first place.

Now Wisconsinites are spared the trauma of harassment by overzealous health inspectors.

Sure, there's no record of such trauma ever occurring, but that's beside the point.

On the flip side, this has the potential to come back to plague Doyle like a nasty case of Hepatitis A.

If there is an outbreak of food poisoning traced to a potluck dinner, it could be a political disaster for Doyle.

The buck would stop with him. He had a chance to safeguard the health of the people of Wisconsin by vetoing the bill, but he signed it.

Who knows? This could become a major campaign issue.

This election could turn on some bad potato salad.