Oversized bottles of wine as a sign of good Conservative governance? Hale, yes. We need regulations for consumer safety, but too much regulation presents barriers to entry into markets, limits consumer choices, and sends a message to people that the state WILL regulate the life out of you. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation last week legalizing oversized wines. Carpe Vinum!

WATCH! I spoke with Andrew Lampasone, founder of Wine Watch in Ft Lauderdale!

Andrew tells me how the law signed by Governor Ron DeSantis will help his business and shows me the 15 liter bottle signed by DeSantis that he is now allowed to sell! pic.twitter.com/Sen7U28nlZ

— Chris Nelson (@ReOpenChris) March 28, 2024

Besides legalizing oversized wines, Ron DeSantis, importantly, implemented laws that impact teenage crime, homelessness and mental health. Ron DeSantis is an analyzer and a doer. The Washington Examiner acknowledged the true genius that is Ron DeSantis:

The most controversial of the bills he signed, and the one most likely to be challenged in court, was a ban on social media accounts for children under 14, with children under 16 now needing parental consent before joining a platform.

Starting in the early 2010s, something went horribly wrong for adolescents. Between 2010 and 2019, depression among teenagers rose by 50%. Over the same time, suicide rose 48% for teenagers and 131% for girls ages 10-14. This was when the majority of teenagers began using social media on smartphones. In 2011, only 23% of teenagers had a smartphone. By 2015, it was 73%.

Teenagers now spend an average of five hours a day on social media platforms. They sleep less, exercise less, study less, and visit friends less. Teenagers who spend the most time on social media show the worst drop in sleep and mental health.

Most of this is a matter of parenting, but it is important to have the government on your side. Arkansas and Utah recognize this with parental empowerment:

States such as Arkansas and Utah have led the way on this, passing legislation like Florida’s that bans social media use entirely for the most sensitive age groups and empowering parents by forcing older teenagers to get their permission to open an account. Under the Florida bill, social media platforms that don’t enact age verification policies can be sued by any minor who manages to create an account for up to $10,000. This is a good first step toward undoing the damage Big Tech has inflicted on children.

This is as it should be. States are in the Innovation Labs for tried-and-true Constitutional Principals. Republican Governors should be the ones looking for ways to apply Constitutional Principals to Modern Problems.

The Examiner article put it this way:

“We want our consumer to be happy,” DeSantis said at his “Carpe Vinum” press conference, “And if that means they want to buy and sell a big old bottle of wine like this, then by golly, they’re gonna be able to do that in the state of Florida.”

Big wine bottles may not be the most pressing issue in Florida voters’ minds (unless one is thinking of grape pressing), but crime, homelessness, and children’s mental health are, and DeSantis delivered for them.

Way to go, Ron DeSantis. Here in Tennessee, our Governor Bill Lee doesn’t generate the sexy headlines but he signed the ELVIS Act:

On March 21, 2024, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed into law the Ensuring Likeness, Voice, and Image Security Act of 2024 or the ELVIS Act—an unprecedented piece of legislation aiming to ban unauthorized artificial intelligence reproductions of individuals’ likenesses and voices. The new Tennessee law follows the current trend of federal and state lawmakers and regulators seeking to address “deep fakes” and pursuing other “anti-impersonation” measures. The ELVIS Act overtly targets AI-generated songs by imposing civil and criminal liability for reproduction of any voice that is readily identifiable and attributable to a particular individual, “regardless of whether the sound contains the actual voice or a simulation of the voice of the individual.”

Last month, TN passed the ELVIS Act to provide historic protections for TN artists against emerging AI technology, securing our rich musical heritage for future generations.

Many thanks to @janson_chris & TN legislators for protecting Tennessee music. https://t.co/CWI7Ny0hgz

— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) April 1, 2024

We cannot ever forget the great Texas Governor Greg Abbott. He has taken incoming constantly from the Federal government who are trying to destroy his state. And, they have never tolerated squatters:

Take a lesson from #Texas @GovAbbott!#ZeroTolerance #LawAndOrder #CommonSense @GregAbbott_TX #AmericaFirst #MAGA pic.twitter.com/MYXNX5U52b

— Donna Reed (@OldgeekgalReed) March 31, 2024

We are so blessed to have Governors like Abbott, Lee and DeSantis. I must also mention Brad Little and Kristi Noem. Don’t hate me, but 2028 starts now.

Featured Composite: Terra Fossil/flickr.com/cropped/Creative Commons/Gage Skidmore/flickr.com/cropped/Creative Commons