Today in Nanny-Statism: California Assemblyman Ian Calderon wants to bring the full force of the government down on restaurant waitstaff who drop that handful of straws on your table as they deliver your beverages.

Assembly Bill 1884 would make it a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in county jail, if a waiter or waitress gives you a straw without you first having asked for it.

Reason magazine has more on the background for this proposed law, based upon research done by an 11-year-old boy five years ago.

For a Democratic Party that insists it's about making life better for the little guy, this might seem like something out of character, except when you realize there is a hierarchy of concerns. The negative effect on the environment outweighs what might happen should a minimum-wage waitress face a $1,000 fine and six months in county jail.

If you wish to contact busybody Calderon and tell him exactly where he can insert a handful of straws, you can do so here.