News

ON THE HILL

News from the Louisiana delegation in the nation's capital

Sunday March 21, 2004

By Bruce Alpert and Bill Walsh

Animal group grades lawmakers

The Humane Society of the United States has identified Rep. Chris John, D-Crowley, as one of the worst members of Congress when it comes to protecting animals. Wayne Pacelle, senior vice president of the Humane Society, said John scored 11 percent in terms of his 2003 voting record on issues affecting animals. That's bad, Pacelle said, although not the lowest among lawmakers in the group's annual scorecard. What got John on the group's "really bad list," Pacelle said, was his enthusiastic opposition to legislation banning the exporting of roosters for cockfighting. John defended his votes, saying he sees cockfighting as a matter up to the states. Louisiana and New Mexico are the only two states not to ban cockfighting. "To me, this is a state's rights issue," John said. Among the other Louisiana lawmakers, Rep. David Vitter, R-Metairie, got a 33 percent score, and Reps. Rodney Alexander, D-Quitman, and Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, got the same 11 percent score as John. Reps. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, Billy Tauzin, R-Chackbay, and Jim McCrery, R-Shreveport, all got scores of 22 percent. Among the votes scored by the Humane Society were legislation to stop the Agriculture Department from certifying livestock too sick to stand as suitable for human consumption and a ban on the practice of bear baiting, when hunters set out food to lure animals, then shoot them when they appear.

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Source: http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1079861313123640.xml

Legislators have filed 612 fewer bills for the March 29 session than were filed at this time last year and the fewest bills prefiled for a general session in at least 15 years, officials said. By Friday's 5 p.m. deadline, 2,137 bills had been filed in advance of the session: 1,404 in the House and 733 in the Senate. Each lawmaker was allowed to file an unlimited number of bills before the deadline. Once the session starts, each legislator is limited to filing five bills until April 20, when no new legislation can be filed. The session must end by no later than 6 p.m. on June 21. Lawmakers will be dealing with some weighty issues: education, crime, the state's retirement funds and cockfighting. That last topic, a long-standing source of contention between urban and rural lawmakers, could provoke some of the more passionate debate of the session. Though animal advocates condemn the sport as barbaric, Cajun defenders say it is an essential part of their traditions. Only Louisiana and New Mexico allow the practice. House Bill 681 by Rep. Karen Carter, D-New Orleans, would prohibit promoting or conducting an organized cockfight, as well as attending the events. Rep. Troy Hebert, D-Jeanerette, said proponents should expect opposition. "I think it's a tradition that our culture has had for generations, really," he said. "I know it might not be understood by many, but it's certainly something I'm going to fight to protect."

CARSON

Deputies break up cockfight, arrest 1

Deputies responding to a call about a cockfight in Carson on Saturday afternoon arrested one man and confiscated 19 roosters, two of which were dead, a sheriff's spokesman said.

The incident occurred at a house in the 100 block of Dominguez Street at about 2 p.m., sheriff's Sgt. Hiroshi Yokoyama said.

Yokoyama said investigators believe that spectators at the cockfight fled before deputies arrived.

The man was booked at the Carson sheriff's station on charges of cruelty to animals.

There was no further information available.

--From staff and news services

Source: http://www.dailybreeze.com/content/news/2073083.html