Jon Stewart proposes treating Kansas like it treats its welfare recipients

Jon Stewart gives Kansas a taste of its own medicine — (Image credit: The Daily Show)

On Thursday night's Daily Show, Jon Stewart took Kansas to the tool shed. The latest moves rightward by Gov. Sam Brownback (R) and the GOP-led state legislature include removing the required eight hours of training for a concealed-carry gun permit and seriously restricting what people on welfare can spend their government assistance on — guns and ammunition are still OK, but not movies, swimming at pools, cruise ships (?), nail salons, or any of life's other enjoyments.

After tying those two new pieces of legislation together, Stewart decided to see how Kansas — which gets $1.29 back from the federal government for every buck it sends to Washington — would like a taste of its own micro-managing medicine, laying out a series of strange but punitive things Kansas wouldn't be allowed to spend its federal subsidies on. "Kansas, these rules may feel petty and unnecessary and, quite frankly, insulting, but maybe they'll motivate you to escape your culture of federal dependency," he trolled. "Until then, let's see how you like being treated like the welfare queens you are." —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.