[ranqet]

This isn't so much about the funeral industry in Louisiana. It's the precedence it could set for anyone else out there who wants to challenge another state regulated cartel (think of car dealerships for example).

From the article: "'defendants moved to dismiss based on the legal issue of whether protecting a discrete interest group from economic competition constitutes a sufficient legitimate government purpose.' Put more simply, it's as if they said, Our purpose here is to protect profits in the funeral industry, these regulations are a rational way to do that, and we're allowed to pick market winners and losers if we so desire -- after all, its only intrastate commerce we're talking about."

[InclinedPlane]

Car dealerships, optometry, beauticians, farming, general contracting, you name it there's a regulatory blanket over it. In most states you can't get glasses or contacts made without a prescription that is less than a few years old, for example.

[sandGorgon]

is that why, probably the longest thread on fatwallet, is about ZenniOptical, which ships from China ?

[callmeed]

Title insurance comes to mind as well. I have a friend in law school and we were just discussing disrupting these guys with a startup

$1,470 per search/policy ... at a cost to them of about $100

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2006/1113/148.html