Another weak effort. Yes, kids are overweight. How does that lead immediately to the need for government regulation. How about some personal responsibility for the parents (hopefully mom and dad in a traditional marriage) and the kids? And give me some of my tax money back that goes to the unneeded bureaucrats. Ciao.

Some people just don't get it. This is quite simply an issue of government control and individual choice and freedom. While the bake sale may or may not be sacred freedom is.

Yes, and if the baked goods are made from mixes how "homemade" are they?

Joanna this is not about bake sales. It is about ceding control to Boston (or Washington). Do you really think Boston knows what is best for all the towns of Massachusetts? Somehow I think you would be singing a different tune if some far away bureaucrat was making decisions for you on reproductive health issues. But since it is bake sales you are willing to hand over control to our nannies in Big Government.

Aside from the fact your post is presumptuous it completely misses the forest through the trees.

While I agree that banning bake sales at the school level is fine (if that is what the school community agrees to), I do NOT think that the state government should be getting involved here. Making broad, sweeping laws like this...with little input from citizens...is just a terrible idea.

More new laws that we can expect: 1. Sunscreen required for all children 12 and under 2. Candy and soda tax raised to 100% 3. Grocery bags banned 4. Multi-cultural training beginning in 1st grade 5. Internal combustion engine banned 6. Bacon made illegal 7. Homeowners must obtain a permit before cutting down a tree on their own propert 8. Guns are banned 9. Disposalble diapers illegal 10. 2 child limit on families These new laws will be for our own good, the good of the state, and the good of the earth.

The ban that was slated to begin in August was only during school hours. The state provides nutrition guidelines for the lunches (appropriately, since they provide funding for free and reduced-price lunches), and these guidelines were (apparently) being undercut by the cookies sold for fundraising.

All the people whining about personal freedom need to chill. The problem with this issue is that like most governmental mandates, it really does nothing at all to address the root cause of the problem. I see this as similar to making everyone remove their shoes in airport security, because someone tried to hide a bomb in one. Let's talk about knee-jerk reactions to things, and the Government is a top offender. 30, 50 years ago, there were bake sales in school and kids were not as fat as they are now. Bake Sales don't make kids fat. Sitting around and playing video games is probably much more of a contributing factor. Are we going to ban video games? Highly-processed food loaded with salt and HFCS and trans fats are more of a factor. Are we going to ban processed foods from the supermarket? Have the bake sales, or come up with other options; I think those mentioned are great ideas. But, it is going to take a lot more effort from every quarter to address this issue. Leave the cupcakes alone...

I see nothing wrong with banning bake sales on school property during school hours. Good grief, who could object to that? When I was in high school, we had bake sales but never on school property. They were at a local shopping center or outside the doors of a supermarket. I wonder if stores would allow that nowadays. I hated being one of the sellers though.

I think your list is ridiculous, but you still can make your voice heard by email, letter, phone call, or at the polls. It's your fault if you passively sit there and don't make your voice heard.

Wrong. This is about public schools. They have rules as they should. Maybe you don't agree with some of the rules. Maybe I don't either, but this matter only concerned school property during school hours. Minors do not have all the rights of adults and as parents we depend on the management of the schools to protect our children. The rule did not effect your daughter selling lemonade on the corner. It did not ban bake sales after school hours (at a basketball game maybe?). During school hours students should be in class anyway, not selling cupcakes.

Boston? What did Boston have to do with it? Boston can't set policies for entire state. That power belongs to state agencies that might happen to be located in the capitol city, but that's the only connection. Are you suggesting that state and local government has no say over what happens in public schools during school hours? It had nothing to do with you or any adult; it was about school kids.

It should be left to the town or perhaps the school to determine if there will be any sales of any kind during school hours and if so, of what. Anti-bullying mandates are appropriate for imposition at the State level; regulating food sales is not.

mba73 -- So what?!?