Who writes these stupid laws?
Hundreds of ridiculous laws on the books of every state in the country routinely make life harder for businesses and their customers while serving no obvious purpose.
This week we told you that Tesla Motors Inc. (Nasdaq: TSLA) will no longer be able to sell its cars in New Jersey because the automaker's direct sales model runs afoul of a law requiring that vehicles be sold through dealerships.
Tesla fought the law, and the law won. The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission voted 6-0 to adopt the rule, which goes into effect April 1.
And stupid laws preventing direct sales of autos aren't unique to New Jersey - Tesla can't sell its cars in Texas or Arizona, either. Ohio, Minnesota, and Georgia could be next. You'd think states would be happy to get the sales tax revenue from cars that go for about $71,000.
But no.
These states think it's better to protect the dealerships because their role as the middleman, according to an Associated Press story, "keeps carmakers from fleecing consumers and protects price competition."
What? Obviously these lawmakers have never set foot in an auto dealership.
But what's really exasperating is that stupid laws like this are rampant in America today.
Here are six more stupid laws that give businesses (and everybody else) fits.
And we're just getting started...
Are you sick of excessive government rules and regulations? Have any stupid laws cost you money? Tell us about it on Twitter @moneymorning or Facebook.
No one can escape the high costs of stupid laws and over-regulation. One study put the annual cost of government regulation at a whopping $15,000 per family. Here are just a few of the ways that government is taking money out of your pocket...