Wait, THAT's Illegal?

So, apparently you can own a gun without too many hurdles in a lot of states, but you can't hunt on Sundays in Virginia unless it's hunting racoons. And we thought this was America. This is a topic we covered long ago in an issue of State of the Bands, but did you know that certain things are illegal in the US that in some cases make little to no sense now?

For example, what we cited in the excerpt is true: you cannot hunt on Sundays in the state of Virginia unless you're hunting racoons. Why? While it is not explicitly called out, this law seems to be in place specifically to protect the Christian Sabbath day. In more interesting news, this law is seeing an update in 2022; beginning on July 1, 2022, you will be able to hunt on Sundays but not within 200 feet of a church. In 2014, there was an update that stated that landowners and family members of said landowners could hunt on their property, but that update clearly catered to those who have the resources to acquire vast amounts of land and was slammed as being pandering towards the rich/upper class population of Virginia. Either way, the law will likely open up in July of this year, so if you live in Virginia there may be some good news coming to you in a few months.

In other news, something that seems as though it should be illegal but is not - did you know that in Texas it is completely legal to get married by proxy? Well, sort of this is not something that just anyone can do. The law is specifically for military members, but it is something that can be done. So, if you're in the military and you get stationed more than an hour away from where you planned to get married (you could travel further but that is not recommended as service people can be called back for action and must report within a certain amount of time), you can send a proxy to do everything on your behalf. Of course, there is additional paperwork that must be submitted, so you can't just volunteer to be a proxy spouse and show up the day of the wedding. That being said, once the appropriate paperwork has been submitted, in Texas there is no concern about leaving someone at the altar. At least, there is no concern of leaving someone at the altar if you are a member of the military.

Put that on a billboard! Well, you could in most states, but not Hawaii. Did you know that billboards are illegal in Hawaii? That's right - billboards are illegal in Hawaii. In fact, there is a state legislature that clearly defines the size and manner of display you are allowed to have for advertising, and it clearly states that billboards are not allowed. As a state known for its lush environment, this was likely done in order to keep Hawaii as "green and natural" as possible. Hawaii also has relatively strict rules about what the land can be used for an invasive species. If you have ever flown into Hawaii then you know that it is almost like entering another country because out of state produce and (some) creatures are not allowed to enter the state in order to control invasive species. Hawaii isn't the only state with laws on billboards; Alaska, Vermont, and Maine all have rules against billboards too. Of note, Alaska does allow tourism related billboards, but you will not see billboards for jewelry, government position candidacy, or lawyers' services like you do in most other states.