PETULANT LAWMAKER SHOULD MIND HIS OWN CONSTITUENCY

Editor, the Tribune: I'm not sure whether laughing or screaming is a more
appropriate reaction to the recent bill from Sen. Chuck Gross to prohibit
school sporting events in the city because of the medical marijuana and
smart sentencing propositions adopted last year.

It is little more than an immature temper tantrum from the senator from St.
Charles to express his dislike for our new laws. Such outrage should not be
wasting state taxpayer time in even printing a bill whose purpose is only to
spit in the face of the voters in Columbia.

I assume that such a small-minded attitude doesn't even reflect the opinions
of the decent people he serves, who would rightfully be outraged if our
state senator ever tried to hinder the economy of St. Charles. Gross' excuse
boils down to sending the wrong message to our public school children. He
forgets - or likely had no clue - that our new law applies only to people
older than 18 and hence wouldn't protect most of the student athletes that
he wants to keep out of our town.

Maybe I'm getting too worked up over what Sen. Chuck Graham aptly calls a
"silly bill."

Still, I can only hope that this act doesn't go unnoticed by the people of
Gross' district, and I would suggest that they vote for a less petulant
voice in the state Senate, a voice that will worry about their needs rather
than what we in Columbia see as reasonable laws.

Bailey Hirschburg