Author: Jesse Stewart

As we have been touring Massachusetts laws, we've been coming across some that are weird, to say the least. These laws don't seem to make a whole lot of sense in today's world or at all but nevertheless, these laws are still technically active in Massachusetts. A few of the bizarre laws we covered include the following:

  • Snoring in your home is illegal in Massachusetts unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked. A pretty odd one for sure. Can you imagine how many people would be fined or thrown in jail for breaking this law if it were actually enforced?
  • In Massachusetts, you'll be fined $10 if you deface a milk carton/milk can without the owner's consent. Wouldn't this be the case for any property that doesn't belong to you?
  • Goatees are illegal in Massachusetts unless you obtain and pay for a license to wear your goatee in publicCan't really wrap my head around this one. As I had mentioned in a previous post, I know many folks in Berkshire County that haven't been hit with a fine or jail time for wearing a goatee. Why is this a law?

Taking a break from weird Massachusetts laws for a moment, I came across a little-known Massachusetts law that actually made a whole lot of sense and wasn't that strange. However, the actual act I'm about to share with you has the potential to be a bit creepy. What I found does seem a little uneasy. Okay, I'll stop teasing.

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If you are caught loitering around a funeral home in Massachusetts, you could be hit with jail time or a $1,000 fine. To be a little clearer about the law, here's the actual legal verbiage courtesy of the Massachusetts Legislature:

Section 42A. Whoever pickets, loiters, or otherwise creates a disturbance within five hundred feet of a funeral home, church or temple, or other building where funeral services are being held, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year in a house of correction, or both.

This is a pretty solid, logical law that isn't a weird Massachusetts law. Is the punishment too harsh? What do you think?

In case you missed it in previous articles, check out these laws.

LOOK: What major laws were passed the year you were born?

Data for this list was acquired from trusted online sources and news outlets. Read on to discover what major law was passed the year you were born and learn its name, the vote count (where relevant), and its impact and significance.

Since we're discussing the State of Massachusetts, let's look at the states where people live the longest.

READ ON: See the States Where People Live the Longest

Stacker used data from the 2020 County Health Rankings to rank every state's average life expectancy from lowest to highest. The 2020 County Health Rankings values were calculated using mortality counts from the 2016-2018 National Center for Health Statistics. The U.S. Census 2019 American Community Survey and America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2019 data were also used to provide demographics on the senior population of each state and the state's rank on senior health care, respectively.

Read on to learn the average life expectancy in each state.

And while we're on the topic of states, check out these famous historic homes state-by-state.

LOOK: Famous Historic Homes in Every State

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