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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2007 > February > 22 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFuneral home bill attracts comics
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The jokes started early this morning about the funeral home bill pending in Georgia’s Legislature.
To be sure, it’s serious legislation. But some lawmakers just couldn’t resist some dark humor.
A little background first about House Bill 90: Georgia funeral homes would no longer be required to display at least eight coffins in their showrooms under the legislation. The bill would instead allow funeral directors to display models, mock-ups or sections of coffins for sale. The actual coffins could be kept in a back storage room under the legislation.
State law now requires funeral directors to keep at least eight caskets on display. The reason for that law is unclear. Funeral directors and lawmakers, however, speculate it was passed to ensure that grieving families could buy what they see and not face delays burying their loved ones.
The bill, sponsored by Chuck Sims (R-Ambrose) had been pending in the Rules Committee for several days before the House approved it this morning and sent it on to the Senate.
“Back from the dead,” Rules Committee Chairman Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) quipped before his panel moved the bill to the House floor this morning.
When it came up for a vote on the House floor, Rep. Carl Rogers (R-Gainesville) asked Sims a serious question about the bill that nevertheless drew titters from fellow lawmakers.
“Does this include rental caskets as well?” said Rogers, who previously co-owned a funeral home and cemetery.
Sims responded: “Yes it does, and it comes one per customer.”
Rental caskets? Indeed, they do exist. Some families rent them to view their loved ones before they are cremated, Sims and Rogers confirmed. Those caskets are then cleaned and reused, they said.
“You know, there are just some things I don’t want to know,” House Speaker Glenn Richardson (R-Hiram) declared, drawing more nervous laughter from the audience.
Sims says it can be traumatic for families to walk into funeral showrooms and see full-size coffins just after their loved ones have died. So some funeral homes prefer to display models as would be allowed under his bill.
Sims, by the way, is a funeral director with his family-owned Sims Funeral Home in Douglas. He said he keeps all his caskets in his showroom.
“This is not something that would be a conflict of interest for me because normally I don’t do this,” he said in an interview last month about keeping only model caskets on display in his business. Sims, however, added: “I might want to decide later on that I might want to do it.”
Several grinning lawmakers sought out Sims in the moments after the House passed his bill. “I want to use one,” one lawmaker inquired about the rental coffins.
Another lawmaker walked up to Sims and joked: “I heard that you rent them out for deer hunters because they can take them out in the woods and they are water proof and warm and comfortable.”
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Miscellaneous
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By RIP
February 22, 2007 3:35 PM | Link to this
Those lawmakers or Dead wrong. Oh I meant they are wrong. Joking about renter caskets.
By art
February 23, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this
Typical. While the state is falling down around them, these Bozos are talking about casket viewing. Is it any wonder our property, income and sales taxes are so high and there is so much corruption in state and local politics in Georgia?
By PLTA
February 23, 2007 4:09 PM | Link to this
Art - What planet do you live on that Georgia is “falling down around us?” We live in one of the fsstest growing, Highest quality of life, lowest cost of living states in America. Georgia’s voters know and appreciate it too. While incumbents got tossed out of office all over the nation last November - Georgia kept EVERY SINGLE House & Senate incumbent IN OFFICE. Not to mention the Governor, etc. Wow — do you need a reality check!