Today in state government time-wasting:

Bill would require all Idaho school kids to read ‘Atlas Shrugged’ to graduate

BOISE — The chairman of the Idaho Senate’s Education Committee, Sen. John Goedde of Coeur d’Alene, introduced legislation Tuesday to require every Idaho high-school student to read Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” and pass a test on it to graduate from high school.

When Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, asked Goedde why he chose that particular book, Goedde said to laughter, “That book made my son a Republican.”