"Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition," is a patriotic song that was written following the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Given the recent actions of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, one might think it was the state song.

After all, while the governor was proposing to cut state funding for education and poverty programs, the Legislature felt the need to pass House Resolution 535, declaring this the "Year of the Bible," and to introduce legislation that would punish municipalities that require gun owners to report lost or stolen weapons by awarding triple damages in court cases.

We have written about the lost or stolen gun provision before. Responsible gun owners understand that it does not infringe on an individual's right to own a gun. And polls show that as much as 70 percent of the public supports the provision.

In fact, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence reports that Pennsylvania leads the nation in guns "missing" from gun shops. Between 2008 and 2010, the campaign stated, more than 6,000 guns were found to be "missing" from gun shops with no record of sale. Were they stolen? Might they be used in a crime? Who knows?

The National Rifle Association, however, has turned this benign reporting requirement into a cause celebre. And heaven forbid should the Legislature do anything to offend the NRA.

That's a proper segue to the "Year of the Bible," resolution that our pious lawmakers passed by a vote of 193-0.

It's not just that this resolution comes close to an endorsement of religion, and, therefore, is a violation of the First Amendment, it suggests that other "Years" might also have to be saluted. Might not Jews, Buddhists, atheists, Pagans, etc., push to have a "year" for themselves? How about a "Year of the Quran"? Does anyone think the General Assembly would support such a resolution?

Better yet, this election year should bear the moniker, "Year of Insanity."

Recent reports indicate that of the 193 legislators who voted for the Bible resolution, a fair number never read it.

There's a surprise.

Pennsylvania is in the midst of a funding crisis. Revenue is down, jobs are scarce and school districts and municipalities face the very real possibility of bankruptcy.

And what are state lawmakers doing? Passing public-service resolutions that do nothing to solve the state's problems.

People may disagree with Gov. Tom Corbett's budget solutions, but at least he seems to be focused on the problems facing the state. He's working at being governor while some in the "people's house" are pretending to be lawmakers.

Here's a message to legislators: Shelve the non-essential resolutions and get to work on the real problems that plague this state.

Your constituents' future hangs in the balance.