After three months of debate, what is quite possibly the most obvious bill to have been passed through the Legislature in years has finally been signed by the governor.

Last week Gov. Jennifer Granholm approved the doggy-bag bill, a new law permitting restaurant-goers to take unfinished, resealed bottles of wine with them when they leave the eatery.

One word sums up this bill - duh.

Allowing people to take home what they ordered and didn't finish just makes sense. In all honesty, this bill should have been written and signed in one afternoon. Instead, our lawmakers have been bantering about whether or not the bill would promote or curb drunken driving. The only people this bill will hurt is the wait staff, who might be used to having a few sips off the unfinished bottles at the end of the night.

Although we support this bill and realize it makes perfect sense to implement it, we can't help but wonder why so much time was taken to pass such a no-brainer bill.

Maybe, just maybe, our lawmakers have a little too much time on their hands. Issues such as Michigan's dwindling economy, the unbelievably high rate of unemployment, lack of health care and maintaining funding for higher education institutions must be too easy of a task for the Legislature.

Increasing funding to smaller cities, attracting young professionals to certain areas and creating new jobs must not command too much time from our lawmakers. Apparently, deciding if a person who spent $40 on an unfinished bottle of wine has the right to recork it and finish it at home is just as important as making sure Michigan's economy can keep its head above Canada's trash.

But if it's not, we suggest that the state government take less time writing and passing minuscule laws that should already be in place and work on the hard, pressing issues that will actually affect the quality of life and the future for Michigan residents.