Hoosiers legitimise "massage therapists"

Indiana Gov. "My Man" Mitch Daniels - the Champion of SMALLER Government, (leaner, cleaner Government) was faced this week with proposals to introduce a 38th State Regulatory Board. On Wednesday he signed Senate Bill 320 which will begin state regulation of massage therapists - with what he claimed was a heavy heart - having previously turned down a similiar proposal from interior designers.

Supporters of the legislation claim this will be a powerful weapon in cleaning up seedy spas and "massage parlours" acting as fronts for prostitution, an argument that appears to have impressed Mitch, once president of Lilly's North American pharmaceutical operations.

He explained that, "The decisive factor in my decision to sign the Bill was testimony during hearings on the bill by law enforcement officials, including the Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police, that certification requirements for massage therapists would be a useful new weapon in their efforts to combat prostitution in their communities."

In a written statement the Governor said, "Therefore, despite some misgivings about the creation of yet another professional regulatory board (raising to 38 the number of such boards and commissions in our state), I have signed (SB 320) into law."

The new law creates a state board of massage therapy. Applicants for certification will be required to complete 500 hours of supervised training, pass a state exam and pay a yet-to-be-determined fee.

So if another retired Eli Lilly CEO sends out for a massage therapist, he will be able to check her credentials throughly - although racial origin probably doesn't feature amongst the necessary qualifications.