My entire state, not just my home town, is rampant with the World's Stupidest Criminals. Here's one that involves one of our elected officials:

A former girlfriend of state Sen. Scott Bundgaard testified Thursday that the Peoria Republican struck her twice during a car ride as they argued over his decision to take dancing lessons while failing to take the time to get counseling for a previous physical altercation.

Aubry Ballard testified during a Senate Ethics Committee hearing on an ethics complaint against Bundgaard.

Ballard testified that Bundgaard said he'd get counseling after he held her throat and then physically threw out of his house after they argued on New Year's Eve in 2010, about two months before the February 2011 domestic violence incident that led to the ethics case.

Bundgaard didn't get the counseling but did sign up for dance lessons for a charity event and planned to take more, Ballard testified. The couple was returning from the charity event when they argued on the evening of Feb. 25.

"That dancing was going to take precedence over counseling upset me," Ballard said. "We start arguing. Obviously it was about priorities in the relationship."