THOSE UNDOCUMENTED RESIDENTS of Rome known as the Lewis family hens are going to be allowed to stay until the City Commission can agree upon detailed laws spelling out the conditions under which to let them remain. If that works out Rome might send whatever it figures out to Congress, unable to agree on anything of the same sort for many years now. Come to think of it, Rome commissioners haven’t been able to agree on a route to giving hens a legal presence for many years as well.

While this goes on, no more attempts at allowing hens authorized residence will be permitted even though city officials concede they’ve known for years that some residents keep hens but prefer not to enforce the current ban unless there is a complaint. That sure sounds like the decades-old federal policy regarding the better-known problem involving some human neighbors as well.

So now the city is putting up a border fence (moratorium) but otherwise going to avoid dealing with what some see as a problem, and others don’t, by sort of letting things slide until commissioners, like political parties, can find some agreement.

Apparently in Rome governmental life imitates Washington.

By the way, can one assume that if the hens somehow have eggs that hatch (difficult without roosters) that their offspring will at least be allowed to stay in Rome, having been born here?