South Dakotans Fighting Animal Cruelty Together has released its "PAWSative" scorecard for the South Dakota Legislature. SD FACT scores legislators on critter-comity based on votes on four bills:
- Support for Senate Bill 46, the bill SD FACT championed to make animal cruelty a felony in South Dakota as it is in every other state in the Union.
- Support for Senate Bill 75, the ban on pit bull bans.
- Opposition to Senate Bill 76, which would have expanded current law to allow people to kill mountain lions when their safety is threatened, not just their lives.
- Opposition to House Bill 1068, which would have allowed Rep. Betty Olson to hunt mountain lions across the state with more than one dog.
Seven Senators and twelve Representatives score 100% PAWSative:
- Sen. Angie Buhl O'Donnell (D-15/Sioux Falls)
- Sen. R. Blake Curd (R-12/Sioux Falls)
- Sen. Jean Hunhoff (R-18/Yankton)
- Sen. Mark Kirkeby (R-35/Rapid City)
- Sen. Deb Peters (R-9/Hartford)
- Sen. Deb Soholt (R-14/Sioux Falls)
- Sen. Alan Solano (R-32/Rapid City)
- Rep. Dan Dryden (R-34/Rapid City)
- Rep. Christine Erickson (R-11/Sioux Falls)
- Rep. Marc Feinstein (D-14/Sioux Falls)
- Rep. Peggy Gibson (R-22/Huron)
- Rep. Timothy Johns (R-31/Spearfish)
- Rep. David Lust (R-34/Rapid City)
- Rep. Scott Parsley (D-9/Madison)
- Rep. Dean Schrempp (D-28A/Lantry)
- Rep. Karen Soli (D-15/Sioux Falls)
- Rep. Roger Solum (R-5/Watertown)
- Rep. Kathy Tyler (D-4/Big Stone City)
- Rep. Susan Wismer (D-1/Britton)
Only two departing Representatives, Republicans Manny Steele (12/Sioux Falls) and Don Kopp (35/Rapid City), are in doghouse with zeroes. Five Senators and twenty Representatives scored just 25%:
- Sen. Jason Frerichs (D-1/Wilmot)
- Sen. Tom Jones (D-17/Viborg)
- Sen. Al Novstrup (R-3/Aberdeen)
- Sen. Larry Rhoden (R-29/Union Center)
- Sen. Mike Vehle (R-20/Mitchell)
- Rep. David Anderson (R-16/Hudson)
- Rep. Jim Bolin (R-16/Canton)
- Rep. Gary Cammack (R-29/Union Center)
- Rep. Scott Craig (R-33/Rapid City)
- Rep. Brian Gosch (R/32-Rapid City)
- Rep. Brock Greenfield (R-2/Clark)
- Rep. Jenna Haggar (R-10/Sioux Falls)
- Rep. Steve Hickey (R-9/Sioux Falls)
- Rep. Kris Langer (R-25/Dell Rapids)
- Rep. Isaac Latterell (R-6/Tea)
- Rep. Elizabeth May (R-27/Kyle)
- Rep. Scott Munsterman (R-7/Brookings)
- Rep. Stace Nelson (R-19/Fulton)
- Rep. Betty Olson (R-28B/Prairie City)
- Rep. Herman Otten (R-6/Tea)
- Rep. Lee Qualm (R-21/Platte)
- Rep. Nancy Rasmussen (R-17/Hurley)
- Rep. Lance Russell (R-30/Hot Springs)
- Rep. Jim Stalzer (R-11/Sioux Falls)
- Rep. Dick Werner (R-22/Huron)
There's certainly more Democratic flavor in the higher rankings and more arch-conservative flavor down low. But Senate Minority Leader Frerichs is among the low scorers. Among the top dogs, we have House Majority Leader Lust and other prominent Republicans.
I mention this partisan mix because Republican squawkers, Big Ag, and some of the press have misportrayed SD FACT as "out-of-state greenies" working for the vilified HSUS. But SD FACT's legislative agenda apparently is not so foreign or radical that it can't find support from South Dakotans of both parties in Pierre.
How much federal funding comes with this move, Cory?
Good news from the Republicans that the have demonstrated their compassion for our fuzzy friends.
Now if the would only have that compassion for the 49,000 of their neighbors that don't have health insurance or are a part of the 14% of those unemployed.
So is taking more than one dog while hunting mountain lions mean to the mountain lions or more fun for the dogs and how does voting one way or another translate into caring about animals? Seems to me one is a vote for dogs and one is a vote for mountain lions.
Taking more than one dog mountain lion hunting might end up more fun for the mountain lion.