Anti-douchebag legislation

Just yesterday, Politico published a story on new, weird state laws going into effect this year.  Many of them involved animals and hunting, but it reminded me of some of the awesome state laws I have come across in my studies.

What I love about these gems of the legislative process is the fact that if I could somehow singlehandedly write into law my own model legislation, the resulting acts would be much the same as these actually-enacted laws.  If I had to attribute a title to this class of glorious edicts, it would be:

The Anti-Douchebags Acts

In Traffic

The first in this category concerns traffic.  

You know when you are on the interstate, and there is construction ahead, and at least several thousand feet ahead you see a sign notifying you that one lane is about to close and that drivers need to start merging?  Of course you do!  But you know when you see that asshole who keeps on driving in the soon-to-be-closed lane, then tries to merge ahead of everyone else right before the construction site, thereby causing even more traffic delays?  

Well, that inconsiderate individual is now subject to a traffic stop and a fine in one state.  That's right!  Now, if a driver refuses to merge when directed by state highway signs, waits until the last second, and thereby causes traffic, he or she can be pulled over and given a ticket, just as if he or she had been speeding.

Now douchebaggery carries with it the penalty of a fine.  Justice at last.

At Home

In the very same state, the annotated code protects good inhabitants from douchebaggery of the pretentious variety. It accomplishes this by giving people who farm on their property a shield from lawsuits initiated by snobs.  This is perhaps best explained via an example.

Imaging you and your family keep chickens or a dairy cow or whatever on your land.  You live way outside of town, so this never bothered anyone, and your family has lived there since your grandpa bought the place 60 years ago.  

Now imagine that someone shows up one day in their luxury convertible with - and I am just guessing here - Connecticut or New Jersey plates.  Don't quite get the image in your head?  Think the neighbors from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  They then buy up all the land next to yours, clear all the trees, build a 15 bedroom, 10 bathroom monstrosity at which they will spend 10 weekends per year, and, what the hell, put a pool and tennis court around back.

Imaging further that these cheery new neighbors then sue your family because they think the chickens do not look proper running around your yard and because they do not want to smell that cow when the wind changes direction.  They call it a nuisance.  

Well, too bad for them!  The state basically says that:

1. As long as your little farm is adhering to agricultural practices and environmental regulations

2. You have not done anything to change your practices since they came to town

3. And your family and its animals were there first

Then you have to be left in peace and cannot be sued here.

Ahhh, the poetic justice.  The neighbors say they don't want to smell shit, the state tells them "tough shit"!  You can't make this stuff up.

Anyway, I believe there were one or two more examples that I wanted to share but have since forgotten.   Perhaps I will add them later.  In the meantime, anyone care to venture a guess as to which state passed the two aforementioned acts?