Regulation Roundup

Some of the stranger goings-on in the world of regulation:

• Starting July 1, it will be illegal to use someone else’s Netflix password in Tennessee, even with their permission.
• Buffalo, New York fines 400 citizens over  the length of their lawns. Record rains during the month of May meant record grass growth, which can be difficult for residents to keep in check.
• In the wake of a court decision making it illegal to dance inside the Jefferson Memorial, activists are holding a dance party this weekend. Leonard Pitts has a good column explaining what the kerfuffle is about.
• Texas is continuing its fight against TSA pat-downs. The legislature recently introduced a bill that would treat the pat-downs as sexual harassment, punishable by a $4,000 fine and a year in jail. It was withdrawn after the TSA threatened to ground all outbound flights from Texas. Looks like lawmakers want to reintroduce the bill in an upcoming special session. Utah is considering similar legislation.
• The FCC would like you to pay more for Internet telephony. Traditional landline-based networks have been lobbying the FCC on this issue for some time; now their anti-competitive efforts are bearing fruit.