If you thought federal policy towards Cuba was something, wait until you get a load of what state legislators have been up to.

In a rush to be tough on terror, a number of state legislators from Massachusetts to Michigan are attempting to push through bills that would require their state's public pension funds to sell off certain investments with countries on the U.S. State Department's list of state sponsors of terrorism. Guess which country is still on that list? (It rhymes with "Tuba.")

As written, legislation in Pennsylvania would require divestment from companies doing any amount of business with Cuba, which is on the terrorist list right next to Iran and Syria.

This is a curious pursuit, given that delegations of farmers and businessmen -- along with the Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture -- have visited Cuba in recent years. In 2005, after returning from a trip to Cuba, the State's Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff indicated that, "Building relationships with domestic and international markets is consistent with Gov. Edward G. Rendell's commitment to economic development, and is a win-win situation for Pennsylvania agriculture and for Cuba’s dairy industry." After a separate trip, Wolff said that, "Cuba is a new market opportunity, has a close proximity to the U.S., and is willing to purchase quality Pennsylvania products at a fair price."

In a race to "do something," Pennsylvania legislators may wind up punishing companies that do business in Cuba while simultaneously promoting trade with Havana. Confused?

State legislators might rethink the message that this type of legislation sends to the world. And the federal government might consider taking Cuba off the terrorist list, which would enable the Treasury Department to focus on Osama bin Laden's finances instead of prosecuting grandmothers on bicycle tours.

-- Jake Colvin