SB 161 – Truly Agreed and Finally Passed – Proposition B fix
Proposition B, the so-called “Puppy Mill Cruelty Prevention Act,” – was not about preventing people from operating puppy mills.
Proposition B was the first step in an attempt to end animal agriculture in the state of Missouri. There are over 100,000 farmers in this state – many of them raise livestock. In the words of the organizations that sponsored the measure – the Humane Society:
“My goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture”. —John “J.P.” Goodwin, HSUS grassroots coordinator, statement made on AR-Views, an animal rights internet discussion group
Bad people will always do bad things. The current “puppy mills” in Missouri are already operating in violation of our laws.
We can stop illegal breeders from operating here without hurting legitimate businesses. The Humane Society thinks that we cannot legitimately raise animals for food; they think that animals are equal to humans. This is insane.
Most of Missouri’s dog breeders are small family operations that raise dogs because they love them, and they want to supplement their income. Proposition B would have literally put them out of business – while those already operating illegally will continue to do so. Unchanged, Proposition B would have hurt all dog breeders. Our proposal increases funding to look for puppy mills and shut them down without hurting legitimate farmers.
If you suspect someone is operating an illegal puppy mill and want to help us shut them down, you can report unlicensed breeders to state officials at from operation bark alert at: http://mda.mo.gov/animals/ACFA/barkalert/reportbreeder.php
The Governor has already signed the bill into law. Thanks to the those of you who worked so hard by making phone calls, sending e-mails and making trips to Jefferson City to help this become law.
Redistricting HB 193
Every ten years, when the Census data comes in, the Missouri Legislature is tasked with redrawing the voting districts for our United States Representatives. Unfortunately, this year Missouri’s population did not grow as fast as the rest of the country, and we lost a congressional seat, taking us from 9 to 8.
With this reduction in seats, one member of our congressional delegation will literally lose their seat. With nine current members of Congress, and eight districts, a tough choice had to be made.
As part of this process, the House Redistricting Committee has spent the past months traveling around the state holding hearings. Citizens were invited to testify concerning how they wanted to be represented in the new districts, who should be included, and what the districts should look like on the map.
Taking this valuable input into consideration we then sat down to draw a map that was both fair and representative. People have the right to vote for a representative of their choice. Part of this right is the guarantee that the district within which they live is drawn so that their vote counts.
Additionally, Missouri’s Constitution requires that districts be drawn so as to be “contiguous and compact.” This means that have to be mostly contained within the same spot on the map – that they shouldn’t look like spider webs, snakes, or blobs on a map in what is referred to as gerrymandering.
Our approach was first to look at the old districts, and then try to keep the ones that had enough people in them to support their own congressman intact – trying to meet the needs of the citizens who came to testify at our hearings.
The end result is what we think is a fair way to make the adjustments that are required because of our loss of a Congressional district. Every district's population increased significantly. The proposed map meets the requirements of the Missouri Constitution and splits only a few counties into different Congressional districts.
For a look at our map, you can visit:
http://stlbeacon.org/images/stories/news_issues/missouri/grandcompromisemo550.jpg
Redistricting is a long process, and the Governor on Saturday morning did veto this map, forcing us to attempt to override the veto, or the courts to draw an entirely different map.
It is a pleasure to serve you, If there is anything me or my staff can do to assist you please give us a call.
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