Archive for the ‘animal rights’ Category

On Wednesday, the U.S. House passed a measure that would again make it a federal crime to sell “crush videos” depicting animal cruelty – three months after the Supreme Court struck down an earlier version as overly broad.

The description from CBS:

Crush videos appeal to a sexual fetish by showing women crushing to death small animals with their bare feet or wearing high heels.

From the Los Angeles Times:

The high court in April overturned the conviction of a Virginia man prosecuted under the 1999 law for selling dog-fighting videos. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the law was too broad and could allow prosecutions for selling hunting videos.

This bill is narrowly drafted to prohibit the sale or distribution of only obscene visual depictions of animal cruelty, according to a House Judiciary Committee report.

The Prevention of Interstate Commerce in Animal Crush Videos Act excludes the sale or distribution of depictions of hunting, trapping, fishing or “customary and …

Continue reading Paul Broun, Tom Graves oppose bill to ban ‘crush videos’ of animals »

Thusday’s column, posted here, is about the search by state lawmakers for that budgetary sweet spot – the balance between the government we need, and the government we’re willing to pay for.

House Speaker David Ralston expounded on that same topic in an interview with Denis O’Hayer with WABE (90.1 FM), posted here. Said Ralston:

“We resolved with the Senate last week that everything is on the table. It is on the table. Certainly some have mentioned the issue of additional fees to compensate at this time.

“I’ve said before, I’ll continue to say again, I don’t think raising taxes is the way out of an economic downturn. But again, what I think is important during this week and next week…is that we ask ourselves, we ask those we represent, ‘How deep do you want the cuts to be? What are you willing to sacrifice?’”

The House speaker said he was encouraging lawmakers to have conversations with voters, and to monitor their e-mail. He continued:

“I think everything has to be on the …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: House speaker says ‘everything’ is on the budget table »

Word comes that U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss has put a hold on President Barack Obama’s choice for regulation czar, because the nominee, a Harvard law professor, thinks that every dog should have his day.

In court.

Cass Sunstein, an Obama adviser and friend, would head up the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, which has the power to assess the impact of regulations proposed by the information.

This from The Hill, a D. C. newspaper:

But Chambliss worries that Sunstein’s innovative legal views may someday lead to a farmer having to defend himself in court against a lawsuit filed on behalf of his chickens or pigs.

Chambliss told The Hill that he has blocked Sunstein’s nomination because the law professor “has said that animals ought to have the right to sue folks.”

Indeed, in his 2004 book, Animal Rights: Current Debates and New Directions, Sunstein wrote: “I will suggest that animals should be permitted to bring suit, with human beings as their representatives, to …

Continue reading Your morning jolt: Chambliss balks at Obama nominee who thinks animals might need lawyers »