Radley Balko uncovers a truely stupid manifestation of stupid legislative intrusion.

The fat cops are on the prowl again. Not content with the current spate of obesity-inspired lawsuits, "nutrition" interests have taken to the state legislatures, looking to pass "menu labeling" laws that will pave the way for, yes, even more lawsuits.

The state of Maine recently introduced legislation requiring all restaurant chains with 20 or more franchises to print nutritional information for all items listed on menus. The state of New York is considering similar legislation.

Now comes Texas, with a menu labeling bill sponsored by Rep. Dennis Bonnen, which just passed the Texas legislature's Public Health Committee. Rep. Bonnen's bill would require all restaurants with three or more locations in the state to label every menu item with its fat, calories, cholesterol, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, and protein content - on every menu. It would also require every item on every menu that gets more than 1/3 of calories from fat to print the warning: "Eating Fatty Foods May Lead to Obesity." Failure to comply would result in a $100 fine and up to six months in jail - for each offense.

Dreadful stupidty isn't limited to east coast and west coast governments.

Via Instapundit.