Once again, Missourians find out that our votes simply don't matter

[MadHound]

Last night our Democratic governor, Jay Nixon, signed into law a "compromise" bill that overrides the will of Missouri voters when it comes to regulating dog breeders and eliminating puppy mills. Backed by big money interests, the Republican legislature passed a bill that overrides the initiative law that the voters favored back in November, and this "compromise" was signed by our milk toast Democratic governor, Nixon.

This is not the first time that the will of Missourians have been overrode. Twelve years ago, Missouri voters emphatically stated that we did not want conceal carry laws in our state. Yet, backed by the NRA, our state legislature hammered on this issue for four years, until they got a Republican in the governor's chair to sign off on it.

Now we have the spectacle of a Democratic governor caving in to special interests, and consigning hundreds of thousands of dogs to continued substandard care and facilities.
<http://www.theolympian.com/2011/04/27/1631773/mo-gov-nixon-signs-compromise.html>

At least we had a strong Democratic governor in office who stood up for the will of Missouri voters the first time the will of Missourians was ignored. Now we have a Democratic governor who is all too willing to go along with subverting the will of the people.

Looks like the next step for the dog breeding issue is the court system. As far as addressing our lawmakers' penchant for ignoring the will of the people, it is time for an initiative petition to force our legislature and governor to keep their hands off the issues that Missourians vote for.

[FSogol]

1. I understand that Nixon is on the wrong side of the issue, but what "big money interest"

cares about blocking dog breeding reforms? :shrug:

[MadHound]

3. Big ag and conservative blowhards among others

A lot of people in this state think that caring about animals is the next thing to communism, or they simply don't like the state interfering in their business.

[cbdo2007]

4. Here is a link to some of their conspiracy theories regarding this:

http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/article_4d6afa27-c044-5cc0-896c-49e941750052.html?print=1

"Once you pull back the curtain, the real devil here is the Humane Society of the United States, the organization behind Proposition B. It pretends to be the savior of distressed animals, but it spends only one-half of 1 percent of the $130 million it receives in donations for the hands-on care of dogs and cats. The rest of its massive budget goes toward lobbying, funding ballot measures state by state (more than $3 million in Missouri for Proposition B), pension plans, advertisements and public stockholding in restaurants, grocery store chains and pharmaceutical companies.

The Humane Society of the United States advances its animal-rights agenda using the ballot measure process, bypassing state legislatures, imposing unnecessary, onerous, prohibitive and costly regulations. This strategy follows a pattern established in other states, including Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Ohio and California — all of which have fallen to previous HSUS campaigns. Those campaigns bank on the American public remaining unaware of what is truly behind the proposed measures.

Missourians have a choice. Believe all the million-dollar propaganda being funded by non-Missourians and animal rights groups, the same people who want you to "just take their word for it," or do your own homework to see that the goal with Proposition B is not to reduce animal cruelty but to wipe out a respected Missouri industry that obeys the laws and employs thousands of your friends, relatives and neighbors."

[FSogol]

6. It is laughable that Dog Breeding is a "respected Missouri industry that obeys the laws"

[DEMGOP]

2. Further proof that change is needed

Stories like this are unfortunately becoming common place, with places like Benton Harbor being told their elected officials no longer matter, and Wisconsin looking to follow suit with some of their cities. I am glad MadHound, that you are willing to organize and do something about this issue, and we would ask that you join us on to enact such change on a national level, while you continue to organize locally. http://www.facebook.com/pages/DEMGOP/176552919062482

Please take a moment to visit our page, and read our description. This is unfortunately not an issue affecting just Missouri or Wisconsin, and we need to wake people up to this, and wake our politicians up to the fact that we can see their hypocrisy, and we don't like it.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. I'm so sad to see that puppy mill law overturned.

[jpak]

7. " Yet, backed by the NRA, our state legislature hammered on this (CCW) issue"

The GOP/NRA agenda yet again

yup