Re: OK HB 1776

[Susan Young <glenn218@yahoo.com>]

In today's Muskogee Daily Phoenix, the headline reads, "Unlikely bill
riles hunters anyway".  Here's the jest...
 
It seems Rep. Charles Gray "became angry with a lobbyist who
represents cockfighting supporters" and authored a bill that would
"make it illegal to cockfight, raise animals or birds for sport, use
spurs on an animal for sport, saddle a horse for more than four hours
at a time at horse shows, and rope a calf in any other manner than a
break-away loop."
 
According to Rick Bailey, president of the local coon hunters group,
the bill would require "hunters to keep their dogs on a 12-foot
leash."  The bill would also impact fishing because in effect, "it
restricts the use of live bait."
 
Rep. M.C. Leist said the bill is going nowhere but thinks it's a
wake-up call for hunters because "...Some guys are single issue people."
 
A bill similar to this one passed in Missouri because the hunters,
rodeoers, and cockfighters were "asleep".

My question is:
 
Are they defining rodeoing as "horse showing"?  If so, would other
equine events (such as endurance) be effected as well?

And finally...
Where does Rep. Gray get off writing a bill that affects over half of
the State because he got "angry" at a cockfight lobbyist?

Thought I'd share this article with my fellow Ridecampers.

Happy trails.

Susan Young
Muskogee, OK 

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