THUMB AWARD NEVER ON A SUNDAY

Thumbs Up to State Dist. Judge Dee Brown for striking down the state’s 20-year-old blue law -in Dallas County at least. It’s a pity that merchants probably won’t heed the decision until higher courts hear the state’s appeal. The blue law forbids the sale of 42 types of merchandise on consecutive Saturdays and Sundays, meaning that Texans can buy booze, but not panty hose; hammers, but not power tools; “novelty” toys but not educational or athletic toys. If the law was designed to guarantee retail workers a day of rest, it’s not working: A business professor at SMU found that it gives only 3.9 percent of all Texas workers a day off over the weekend. “It is an antiquated law and simply isn’t applicable in today’s society,” says Terry Fritze, president of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce. Amen.