Speed of lightning, roar of thunder, Sweet Polly Purebred would probably agree.

The Missouri House continues to devote its time to important legislation designed to address pressing matters of public interest. A bill, introduced today by Speaker Pro Tem Denny Hoskins (r):

FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 723 [pdf]

98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE HOSKINS.

1762H.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk

AN ACT

To amend chapter 10, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to the designation of

the state dogs.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Chapter 10, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 10.112 and 10.113, to read as follows:

10.112. The dog known as “Old Drum”, whose death became the subject of an 1870 Missouri Supreme Court case and the delivery of a famous speech as the closing argument to the case known as the “Eulogy to Old Drum”, is designated as the historical dog of the state of Missouri.

10.113. The dog known as “Jim the Wonder Dog” is designated as Missouri’s Wonder Dog.

[emphasis in original]

Hoping the Missouri General Assembly will address serious challenges absent distractions is about as futile as trying to herd cats.

Great moments in pressing legislative business.

Old Drum, on the lawn of the Johnson County Courthouse in Warrensburg, Missouri.

A bill, introduced on January 16, 2014:

SECOND REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 1456

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES HOSKINS (Sponsor), DOHRMAN, LOVE, WALKER, RICHARDSON AND KELLEY (127) (Co-sponsors).

4488H.03I        D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk

AN ACT

To amend chapter 10, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to the designation of the state dogs.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

           Section A. Chapter 10, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 10.112 and 10.113, to read as follows:

           10.112. The dog known as “Old Drum”, whose death became the subject of an 1870 Missouri Supreme Court case and the delivery of a famous speech as the closing argument to the case known as the “Eulogy to Old Drum”, is designated as the historical dog of the state of Missouri.

           10.113. The dog known as “Jim the Wonder Dog” is designated as Missouri’s Wonder Dog.

[emphasis in original]

Another identical bill, introduced on January 22, 2014:

SECOND REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 1547

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES DOHRMAN (Sponsor), HOSKINS, KOLKMEYER AND MUNTZEL (Co-sponsors).

5191H.01I      D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk

AN ACT

To amend chapter 10, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to the designation of the state dogs.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

           Section A. Chapter 10, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 10.112 and 10.113, to read as follows:

           10.112. The dog known as “Old Drum”, whose death became the subject of an 1870 Missouri Supreme Court case and the delivery of a famous speech as the closing argument to the case known as the “Eulogy to Old Drum”, is designated as the historical dog of the state of Missouri.

           10.113. The dog known as “Jim the Wonder Dog” is designated as Missouri’s Wonder Dog.

[emphasis in original]

Representatives Hoskins (r) and Dohrman (r). “After you. Oh, I insist, after you…”

Both bills were referred to the Tourism and Natural Resources Committee on January 29th.

I know we were all deeply concerned about this…

Really?:

HB 1778

Designates Old Drum as the historical dog of the State of Missouri

Sponsor: Hoskins, Denny (121)

Co-Sponsor: Largent, Scott (120) … et al.

Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2012

LR Number: 5839L.01I

Last Action: 2/21/2012 – Read Second Time (H)

Bill String: HB 1778

Next Hearing: Hearing not scheduled

Calendar: Bill currently not on a House calendar

HB 1813

Designates Seaman, the dog accompanying Lewis and Clark on their expedition of the Louisiana Purchase territory, as the official state historical dog

Sponsor: Sommer, Chrissy (015)

Proposed Effective Date: 8/28/2012

LR Number: 5925H.01I

Last Action: 2/22/2012 – Introduced and Read First Time (H)

Bill String: HB 1813

Next Hearing: Hearing not scheduled

Calendar: HOUSE BILLS FOR SECOND READING

Because this must be settled now.

Proposition B is on the November ballot. It would:

…amend Missouri law to require large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care with sufficient food, clean water, housing and space; necessary veterinary care; regular exercise and adequate rest between breeding cycles.  The amendment further prohibits any breeder from having more than 50 breeding dogs for the purpose of selling their puppies as pets.  The amendment also creates a misdemeanor crime of “puppy mill cruelty” for any violations…

Some big contributions have come in for Missourians for the Protection of Dogs, a group which supports the ballot initiative’s restrictions.

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

C091304 MISSOURIANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF DOGS [pdf] 8/26/2010

ASPCA

New York, NY

8/26/2010

$200,000.00

[emphasis added]

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

C091304 MISSOURIANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF DOGS [pdf] 8/24/2010

The Humane Society of the United States

Gaithersburg, MD

8/24/2010

$500,000.00

[emphasis added]

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

C091304 MISSOURIANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF DOGS [pdf] 8/4/2010

Mary and Peter Max

New York, NY

8/5/2010

$10,000.00

Leslie Bhutani

Greenwich, CT

8/5/2010

$5,000.00

[emphasis added]

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

C091304 MISSOURIANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF DOGS [pdf] 8/4/2010

Big Cat Rescue Corporation

Tampa, FL

8/3/2010

$5,000.00

Animal Welfare Advocacy Inc

Mamaroneck, NY

8/3/2010

$10,000.00

[emphasis added]

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

C091304 MISSOURIANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF DOGS [pdf]8/1/2010

The Fund for Animals

New York, NY

7/30/2010

$10,000.00

[emphasis added]

Okay, this looks like it’s one of three things – no one in Missouri is sufficiently bothered by the problem this initiative seeks to correct that they want to part with large sums of money to help pass it, or the economy is so bad in Missouri that no one has the big bucks to contribute, or the people that have the big bucks to contribute are contributing to something else. Like, I dunno, say, a ballot initiative that’ll gut the finances of Missouri’s two largest cities.

The big contributions continue:

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

C091304 MISSOURIANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF DOGS [pdf] 7/30/2010

Paula Kislak, DVM

Santa Barbara CA

7/30/2010

$5,000.00

[emphasis added]

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

C091304 MISSOURIANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF DOGS [pdf] 7/28/2010

Michael Katz

New York, NY

7/27/2010

$10,000.00

[emphasis added]

Whew. We finally got one from Missouri. I’m somewhat relieved.

CONTRIBUTION OF MORE THAN $5,000.00 RECEIVED BY ANY COMMITTEE FROM ANY SINGLE DONOR – TO BE FILED WITHIN 48 HOURS OF RECEIVING THE CONTRIBUTION

C091304 MISSOURIANS FOR THE PROTECTION OF DOGS [pdf] 7/21/2010

Humane Society of Missouri

St. Louis, MO

7/21/2010

8,088.10

[emphasis added]

I bet if you vote yes on Proposition B your puppies will thank you.

Video of a minor drug bust in Columbia back in Feb is now making the rounds on the web.  

Where to start.  For starters, all they did was bust a guy for pot possesion.  Yeah, that was threatening.  

My wife volunteers at the animal shelter in Columbia and we foster cats from there.  We consider it a teeeeny island of progressive values in the otherwise vast sea of regressive redness that is central Missouri.

Slaughtering family pets in the name of the War On Drugs does not represent progressive values.  Heads should roll on this in city government but like all closed systems, a relative small town like Columbia typically ain’t good at changing things or making officials accountable.

Actions like this don’t reflect well on the city that’s for sure.

Bigger picture, it’s crap like this that shows the inherent stupidity in the so-called War on Drugs.