The first phase of the bill stipulated that beginning in 2012; incandescent light bulbs rated at under 40-watts or over 150-watts are banned. The second phase to begin in 2020 will require that light bulb manufacturers produce light bulbs that generate a minimum of 45 lumens per watt (to those without your Mr. Wizard slide rulers, bad idea).

Fast-forward to 2010.

Not only did Rep. Upton get re-elected, but Speaker Boehner saw fit to put him in as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Interesting assignment for someone who waffles on that global-warming thing.

So let's move now to 2011.

A recent bill, HR-91, or more appropriately the Better use of Bulb Act by Rep. Barton from Texas, has been languishing around for a while and hasn't gone anywhere. After much criticism, Rep. Upton has finally taken it upon himself to have his committee move this bill forward.

Given the noticeable lack of republican opposition to the expansion in government at various levels, people were getting tired of waiting for the party that supposedly supported limited government to go and do something.

Someone finally did.

Introduced in March of this year, four Texas State Representatives introduced HB-2510, exempting the ban on incandescent light bulbs from intrastate commerce. Short summary of the bill: As long as the light bulbs are manufactured and sold within the State of Texas, the federal government ban has no effect.

On June 17th, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed HB-2510 into law.

Nullification. Gotta love it!

BTW, other states are doing similar laws.

Any takers up there in Lansing?

Businesses manufacturing a product in Michigan, for Michigan. That's sounds like a win-win scenario to me.

Even the governor, with his aversion to being adversarial, can't be against that argument. Just look at how good that will be for Michigan's economy.