As they see it.

"We have a 20th century law that was never meant to apply to a 21st century situation. This is a stupid activity, and it will come back to haunt young people for years to come, but it is not child pornography."

--Florida Senator Dave Aronberg about sexting, to the Associated Press.

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"The first time I heard the idea, I thought, I've got more important things to do than spending my time honoring a microbe. But this microbe is really a very hard worker."

--Wisconsin Representative Gary Hebl, who proposed a bill to designate Lactococcus lactis the state microbe, in The New York Times.

"I expect it's going to be a challenge for those people left behind."

--Sharleen Newton, an Iowa Department of Administrative Services employee, who told the Associated Press that more employees than expected took advantage of an early retirement plan offered by the legislature.

"Public health used to be about going after the elimination of pathogens .... Now we're going beyond that and trying to address behavioral risk factors, which leads to charges of paternalism."

--Katherine Pratt, a professor at Loyola Law School Los Angeles, who is researching fat taxes, in The New York Times.

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