Louisiana senate wants NFL to take it easy on the Saints

Citizens of Louisiana, these are your tax dollars at work.

Members of the state's Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs unanimously passed a resolution on Wednesday calling for the NFL to reconsider its bounty-related sanctions against the New Orleans Saints. The non-binding measure passed without opposition in the house and will proceed to the state senate.

"No one wants to make excuses for what the Saints did," Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, told The Times-Picayune. "But the sanctions are excessive."

That's an important distinction. The senate isn't condoning controlled violence, it's merely saying that controlled violence shouldn't be punished so harshly.

[Source: Gregg Williams told Saints players to target Alex Williams, other Niners]

Instead of highlighting excerpts from House Concurrent Resolution No. 50, we've reprinted it, in full. It's American civics at its finest:

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION: To urge and request the National Football League to reconsider the penalties imposed upon the New Orleans Saints.

WHEREAS, the National Football League has imposed a series of penalties upon the New Orleans Saints; WHEREAS the New Orleans Saints have produced countless exciting and magical moments for the city of New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, the Gulf Coast region, and the entire country; and WHEREAS, the taxpayers of Louisiana have invested millions of dollars into the success of the Saints organization by supporting stadium improvements, practice facilities, and other incentives; and WHEREAS, the popularity of the New Orleans Saints has provided a tremendously positive economic impact, and the sanctions faced by the team will likely have a negative economic impact across the Crescent City and the state as a whole; and WHEREAS, the first coach ever suspended by the NFL for any reason, the head coach of the Saints has been suspended for the entire 2012 season, the general manager for the first eight regular season games, and an assistant coach for the first six regular season games, all without pay, and the Saints organization has been fined five hundred thousand dollars; and WHEREAS, additionally, certain Saints players are facing possible fines and suspensions; WHEREAS, the greatness of the New Orleans Saints in recent years, including the historic and triumphant victory in Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, could not have been achieved without the guidance, dedication, and skills of Sean Payton and the entire coaching staff, as well as all others involved with the Saints' football program; and there is widespread public opinion throughout the state of Louisiana and beyond that the penalties imposed upon the Saints are too harsh and should be reconsidered.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby urge and request the National Football League to reconsider the penalties imposed upon the New Orleans Saints. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the commissioner of the National Football League.

Is that the way all government documents are written? No wonder nobody read the 2,700 health care bill before it was passed. This brief resolution is more dense than an NFL playbook, albeit with a lot more "tremendously positive" adjectives.

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