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Louisiana's new 'lemonade law' is a great example of bipartisanship in action.

This meeting of the Childhood Preservation Society can now come to order.

We ask that you please silence your Simon, and unless they identify as "hungry, hungry," please put any hippo feedings on hold.


Before we get to a status report on how successful our coloring book resurgence has been, I'd like to share some exciting news out of Louisiana that will serve as a model for many of our local efforts going forward.

As many of you are well aware, lemonade stands are a rite of passage for many young people in the U.S.

From the street corners of big cities to the roadsides of rural highways, these citrus oases (It's the plural of oasis. Who knew, right?) provide refreshment for thirsty travelers and early business opportunities for America's youngest entrepreneurs. And sometimes they even sell bottled water or doughnuts.

What's more patriotic than that?

President George W. Bush stops for a lemonade at a roadside stand on his way to the Raleigh-Durham Airport in 2004. Photo by Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images.

But occasionally adults with nothing better to do enforce local laws and statues requiring a permit for such endeavors.

Or worse, they ticket the children outright, penalizing them (or their parents). At best, they collect a few hundred dollars and sour a perfectly good afternoon. At worst, they squeeze the life out of the tender entrepreneurial spirits of local kids.

GIF via "The Simpsons."

How often does this happen? Way more than it should.

These sisters in Texas were trying to earn money for a Father's Day gift. Shut down.

Half a dozen kids in Maryland planned to split their earnings with a pediatric cancer charity. Shut down.

And a girl in New York selling cookies and lemonade with her dad was cornered by parks department agents. Shut down.

It's petty and really, really frustrating.


Andria and Zooey Green just wanted to help their dad do something nice. GIF via USA Today/YouTube.

It's a terrible use of time and resources. So Louisiana legislators did something about it.

Sen. Gary Smith, a Democratic legislator from Norco, Louisiana, introduced a measure to exempt kids from paying an occupation license tax on their small businesses. The bill passed with unanimous support, and Gov. John Bel Edwards plans to sign it. So long as the children of Louisiana take home less than $500 a year, they're free to operate their lemonade stands as they wish without fear of "The Man" knocking their hustle.

Photo by iStock.

The law takes effect Aug. 1, so the Childhood Preservation Society would like to remind its members to keep a low profile should they choose to fly in the face of the existing rules and operate lemonade stands in the bayou all summer long.

Senate Bill 99 (or as it should be called, "The Lemonade Law"), is a big victory for the small people of Louisiana and a reminder that our lawmakers can still work together.

At every level of government, infighting, partisan rancor, and childish posturing are the name of the game. It's why people lose faith in once-revered institutions and why so many long for a change to the status quo.

While a simple, commonsense measure in Louisiana won't change much for most of us, it's something. It's proof that our lawmakers can do the right thing. And a reminder that they can be the leaders we want them to be, if just for a moment.

Or maybe it's proof they like roadside refreshments as much as the rest of us. And frankly, that's OK too.

Whatever the reason, it keeps me hopeful.

Photo by iStock.

The Childhood Preservation Society will now take a brief recess for ... recess.

Please grab a juice box and some graham crackers on your way out.

Planet

Easy (and free!) ways to save the ocean

The ocean is the heart of our planet. It needs our help to be healthy.

Ocean Wise

Volunteers at a local shoreline cleanup

True

The ocean covers over 71% of the Earth’s surface and serves as our planet’s heart. Ocean currents circulate vital heat, moisture, and nutrients around the globe to influence and regulate our climate, similar to the human circulatory system. Cool, right?

Our ocean systems provide us with everything from fresh oxygen to fresh food. We need it to survive and thrive—and when the ocean struggles to function healthfully, the whole world is affected.

Pollution, overfishing, and climate change are the three biggest challenges preventing the ocean from doing its job, and it needs our help now more than ever. Humans created the problem; now humans are responsible for solving it.

#BeOceanWise is a global rallying cry to do what you can for the ocean, because we need the ocean and the ocean needs us. If you’re wondering how—or if—you can make a difference, the answer is a resounding YES. There are a myriad of ways you can help, even if you don’t live near a body of water. For example, you can focus on reducing the amount of plastic you purchase for yourself or your family.

Another easy way to help clean up our oceans is to be aware of what’s known as the “dirty dozen.” Every year, scientists release an updated list of the most-found litter scattered along shorelines. The biggest culprit? Single-use beverage and food items such as foam cups, straws, bottle caps, and cigarette butts. If you can’t cut single-use plastic out of your life completely, we understand. Just make sure to correctly recycle plastic when you are finished using it. A staggering 3 million tons of plastic ends up in our oceans annually. Imagine the difference we could make if everyone recycled!

The 2022 "Dirty Dozen" ListOcean Wise

If you live near a shoreline, help clean it up! Organize or join an effort to take action and make a positive impact in your community alongside your friends, family, or colleagues. You can also tag @oceanwise on social if you spot a beach that needs some love. The location will be added to Ocean Wise’s system so you can submit data on the litter found during future Shoreline Cleanups. This data helps Ocean Wise work with businesses and governments to stop plastic pollution at its source. In Canada, Ocean Wise data helped inform a federal ban on unnecessary single-use plastics. Small but important actions like these greatly help reduce the litter that ends up in our ocean.

Ocean Wise, a conservation organization on a mission to restore and protect our oceans, is focused on empowering and educating everyone from individuals to governments on how to protect our waters. They are making conservation happen through five big initiatives: monitoring and protecting whales, fighting climate change and restoring biodiversity, innovating for a plastic-free ocean, protecting and restoring fish stocks, and finally, educating and empowering youth. The non-profit believes that in order to rebuild a resilient and vibrant ocean within the next ten years, everyone needs to take action.

Become an Ocean Wise ally and share your knowledge with others. The more people who know how badly the ocean needs our help, the better! Now is a great time to commit to being a part of something bigger and get our oceans healthy again.

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The hobby has caught the attention of law enforcement and government agencies because urban waterways are a popular place for criminals to drop weapons and stolen items after committing a crime. In 2019, a magnet fisherman in Michigan pulled up an antique World War I mortar grenade and the bomb squad had to be called out to investigate.


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