Louisiana Monks Sue To Make Coffins

From the Institute of Justice: "Can the government restrict economic liberty just to enrich a group of politically favored insiders?That’s the question the Institute for Justice and its client, Saint Joseph Abbey of St. Benedict, La., have taken to federal court in challenging the constitutionality of Louisiana’s outrageous requirement that the monks of the Abbey must be licensed as funeral directors and convert their monastery into a licensed funeral home in order to sell their handmade wooden casket.Under Louisiana law, it is a crime for anyone but a licensed funeral director to sell “funeral merchandise,” which includes caskets. To sell caskets legally, the monks would have to abandon their calling for one full year to apprentice at a licensed funeral home, learn unnecessary skills and take a funeral industry test. They would also have to convert their monastery into a “funeral establishment” by, among other things, installing equipment for embalming human remains."
http://www.ij.org/about/3454




It's regulations like this that have conservatives and some liberals outraged. Since this is happening in Louisiana and with a very good governor, Bobby Jindahl, I would have hoped he would have overturned this regulation.
The State's response: We're just following state law.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/100574309.html
No common sense whatsoever.
The monks are being threatened with fines and jail.
That's government for you.

h/t Cranky Hermit http://crankyhermit.blogspot.com/