Michigan Isn't the Only State with Silly Archaic Laws Still on the Books

The Internet was abuzz on Monday after several websites published misleading articles alleging that the state of Michigan outlawed oral and anal sex while allowing the poisoning of their residents to continue. The articles, however, were incorrect.

The law that created the stir was actually Senate Bill 219, Logan’s Law, named after a dog that was tortured with battery acid. The law bans anyone who has been convicted of animal abuse within the past five years from adopting another pet.

The misunderstanding comes from a clause in the bill that states, “a person who commits the abominable and detestable crime against nature either with mankind or with any animal is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 15 years.”

The “crime against nature” portion historically refers to sodomy, or anal sex, although any such law would be moot as the US Supreme Court outlawed laws against the practice in 2003.

Michigan isn’t the only state with crazy laws that remain on the books, but are rarely, if ever, not enforced, however.

In California, a frog that died during a frog-jumping contest can't be eaten. It is believed that this law was established to protect the competitors in the 80-year-old Calaveras County Fair and Frog Jumping Jubilee.

Liquor stores in the state of Indiana can't sell cooled water or carbonated beverages, but they can sell them at room temperature. They also cannot sell milk.

It is a misdemeanour in Iowa to misrepresent margarine as butter.

In Kansas, every legislator, public officer, and lawyer must sign a pledge that they have never engaged in a duel with deadly weapons.

Selling non-latex condoms through a vending machine in Maryland is a misdemeanor and you may be subject to a fine of up to $1,000.

In the state of Massachusetts, it is illegal to sing or play the national anthem in any form other than in its entirety. Playing only a portion of the song is punishable by a fine no more than $100, and so is any form of dancing to it.

In Nebraska, it is illegal for you to get married if you have a sexually transmitted disease. Maybe this one would be appropriate to popularize.

Currently, New Mexico, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Ohio have laws in their constitutions which state "idiots" can't vote in elections. The term “idiot” is meant to refer to someone with an IQ of under 30. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, however, if you understand what voting means, federal law protects your right to do so.

So, while Michigan may be at the forefront of discussions on bad governing, Logan’s Law is actually a good law, and does not belong in the category of silly and unenforceable laws.