TALLAHASSEE — Watch out, Florida! The state Senate wants to neuter your back bumper.
That's right, for 30 minutes over the past two days, the Legislature's upper chamber has discussed banning a car accessory that resembles the reproductive parts of a bull.
Sold as Truck Nutz, Bulls Balls or Bumper Balls, the tacky novelties began hanging from bumpers, truck hitches and rearview mirrors at least three years ago. They come in chrome and colored plastic — think bright purple.
To Republican Sen. Carey Baker, they're disgusting.
"If we overlook the small obscenity, then it could grow into a larger one, and we'd have more problems in the future," says the gun shop owner from Eustis.
So Baker attached a measure to a larger transportation bill (SB 1992) that would make it a noncriminal moving violation to hang "reproductive glands" from cars and trucks.
It would also allow police to stop drivers who display any "obscene word, image or device."
For two days, Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, whose Chevy Suburban sports the reproductive bull glands, has tried to stop the ban, saying it could affect a lot of drivers.
Although other senators supported his efforts, he twice failed to kill the ban, overruled by voice votes from the chamber.
"At what point do you say, big brother or big government are stepping in areas they shouldn't?" King asked.
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