Lawmakers are in an interesting position.
By simply writing it down and voting for its approval, legislation can create the conditions where tens, hundreds or even thousands of people can be locked up and put in jail.
For the most part, people agree with common criminal statutes. If you purposefully kill or injure someone, you should probably be locked up.
But every now and then, some legislator somewhere feels as though he's not doing his job correctly if he doesn't make some law that puts someone in jail for doing something.
Last week, that legislator was Florida State Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Cross Creek.
Oelrich is the chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, and to him, collegiate athletics needs fixin'.
The alleged benefits given to the University of Miami players by a booster, and similar incidents at Miami and other schools, show Oelrich that something needs to be done.
And Oelrich is determined to make something happen.
There are currently sanctions for agents who provide improper benefits in the state of Florida, but Oelrich thinks they don't go far enough.
For inspiration, Oelrich looks to a recent Texas law that, according to the Gainesville Sun, created "penalties of up to 10 years in prison for agents who cost college athletes their eligibility."
It's about time someone started putting these creators of chaos and destruction behind bars so that our families and children can be safe.
The desire to make college athletics "uncorrupted" by the money and benefits that some believe pollute professional sports is understandable.
First of all, this issue should not be decided or regulated by the state of Florida or any government for that matter.
For the most part, this should remain between the NCAA and the athletic departments of the participating universities.
The integrity of college sports is not a matter of public concern, in the legal sense. Many people may care about college sports, but their extent of regulation should remain internal and institutional rather than statutory.
Also, the fact that this law is prescribing up to 10 years in prison for this behavior is completely ridiculous. People convicted of attempted murder can receive lower sentences than this.
No physical harm occurs when an agent gives a player benefits, and certainly this agent does not present a danger to the public.
If anything, there could be civil consequences for this behavior, but even that is going too far.
In reality, Oelrich probably does not care much for the integrity of the NCAA or college sports. Like national lawmakers and the issue of steroids in the MLB, Oelrich saw the chance to put his name out there and jumped on it.
It's a very effective re-election strategy, but the power to use force should not be abused for political reasons. However, that is mostly the case.
