New York's state legislature is notoriously dysfunctional, but its response to a court's finding that viewing child pornography was actually legal in the state shows it can move fast when it wants to. Exactly one week after the New York Court of Appeals found that viewing (not collecting, creating, facilitating, or promoting, but just viewing) child porn did not violate the state's penal code, the State Senate passed legislation to make it a crime.

Earlier this week, according to the Associated Press, "Twelve hours after Tuesday's Court of Appeals decision, the New York state Legislature, which has taken years to move on some measures, had new, identical bills dealing with child pornography introduced in the Senate and Assembly." Reuters reported Tuesday night: "The bill passed by the Senate on Tuesday would make it a felony to 'knowingly access with intent to view any obscene performance which includes sexual conduct by a child less than sixteen years of age.' "

Now the bill goes to the state Assembly, where we would be absolutely shocked if it failed. It's one thing to dither on unpopular pension cuts, but nobody wants to be the legislator who stood in the way of making kiddie porn watching a crime.

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Adam Martin