How is this not a PR disaster for the Farm Bureau? “We can’t bother to have some basic protections for livestock we know are being harmed because it might inconvenience a few people.” That’s their stance? People who abuse animals also abuse their families. There is a direct correlation. Stepping in and identifying them and punishing them in a way that has some weight behind it just makes sense. Almost all of the farmers in Tennessee are not abusive assholes. They have nothing to fear from this legislation. But it makes you wonder about the people who make up the lobby, doesn’t it? If regular farmers have nothing to fear and tons of people in the state are clamoring for this, a gal starts to wonder about what’s going on with the people working against this.

From Liz’s report on the last hearing:

That’s when a Sumner County Animal Control officer, in attendance to testify in favor of the legislation, offered the money retort: “A lot of the people who are abusing their animals are also the ones who are abusing their children.”

The House Ag Committee will be voting on this bill. Like Liz says, call’em up:

Stratton Bone, 741-7086
Dale Ford, 741-1717
Willie Butch Borchert, 741-6804
Eddie Bass, 741-1864
Chad Faulkner, 741-3335
Curtis Halford, 741-7478
John Litz, 741-6877
Steve McDaniel, 741-1980
Frank Niceley, 741-4419
Johnny Shaw, 741-4538
Terri Lynn Weaver, 741-2192
John Mark Windle, 741-1260

• Part 1 – We made a bet. Mary thinks she won. But Freddie won’t pay until August. (20:08 32.3MB)
• Part 2 – Interview with Lz Garrigan – G-A-Double R-I. G-A-N spells GARRIGAN! It’s Liz’s last few weeks as editor of Scene and she takes the gloves completely off. Hear what she really thinks of Nashville, the daily paper, Hillary as victim, and the Governor. (26:37 42.6MB)
• Part 3 – It’s the end of the Democratic primary and the year of the underdog continues! Plus, Crafton takes English-only to the people and if you’re going to boo, stay home. (28:19 45.4MB)
• Part 4 – Media Matters for American Smackdown with Elbert Ventura – Elbert tells us what to expect during the general election from a corporate media intent on breaking the world record for using “Obama” and “terrorist” in the same sentence. “Terrorist fist jab, indeed.” (26:39 42.7MB)