My father-in-law makes an excellent suggestion whenever he hears about a dumb new bill being sponsored in the New York State Legislature. If you want to pass a law in Albany, you should have to repeal two others.

But a legislative proposal announced today by Assemblyman Rory Lanceman (D-Queens) is so asinine that he should have to repeal at least three laws just for uttering his suggestion.

Lanceman, in trying to capitalize on high-profile rape allegations made by a Sofitel housekeeper against former International Monetary Fund Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, is drafting legislation that would require New York hotels to outfit employees with “panic buttons” in case future IMF chiefs decide to sexually assault them while they are cleaning rooms.  (Non hotel employees in New York are on their own under Lanceman’s bill.)

The assemblyman announced his legislation with a straight face Monday outside the Sofitel on West 44th Street.  He will get plenty of ink, and the bill will go nowhere. It is grandstanding at its worst.

Lanceman’s staff should keep newspapers away from the Assemblyman, now serving in his third two-year term.  One good look at the police blotter and we may all be wearing panic buttons under in future legislation. Our fellow citizens are dangerous people.

But which three laws to take off the books?  Some ideas here.