The state legislature is often maligned for dealing with stuff that does not require dealing with. The public wonders how many hours can they waste on insignificant matters?

     Take for example a new bill to order citizens to report a dead body.

     Yep…a dead body.

     So what is the problem here?

     Joe Six Pack is out walking in the woods up North and comes across a dead body and ponders, "Hum. I wonder if I should report this?  Naw.  Somebody else can do it."

     Do we really have to pass a law mandating that Joe do his civic duty?

     Well turns out the proposal is not aimed at Joe, but at others who would, for financial gain, ignore the dead body.

     In Canton Township some time ago it actually happened according to Rep. Richard LaBlanc who is backing the legislation.

     Seems two drug addicts were living together and one of them croaked. The other tossed some blankets over the body in the apartment and wrote the victim's father claiming his daughter needed money. And being a good father, he sent the money along.

     Other druggies entered the apartment, and they didn't call the authorities either. This went on for three weeks when finally an anonymous tipster gave the local cop shop a heads up.

     They got a search warrant and discovered the corpse. But when it came time to charge everyone, it was discovered it is not against the law to ignore a dead body.

     Hence, the new legislation.