In California, you can drive with a dog in your lap

It’s legal to drive with a dog in your lap in California, now that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill that would have banned the practice for Paris Hilton and other motorists.

Schwarzenegger explained that because of a state budget crisis, he would only sign laws of the “highest priority.” The lapdog proposal apparently didn’t qualify, although on the same day the Governor signed a measure specifying paperwork requirements for restaurant chefs who buy food at farmers’ markets.

“You’ve got a live animal that has a mind of its own” and can be dangerous in a car, complained the bill’s author, Assemblyman Bill Maze.

But others decried the proposal as “nanny government” and said it would eventually lead to a seat belt requirement for canines.

Source: The Sacramento Bee.