The senate supports a change of focus for the dog breeder’s law approved by voters as Proposition B last November, rejecting an effort to put the revised law to a public vote in November 2012. Critics of the proposed vote say it could come too late to save hundreds of legitimate dog breeders from shutdowns caused by the dog breeders law.
The Senate has tentatively approved Senator Michael Parson’s bill that keeps many provisions of the law but takes them out of the criminal law statutes and leaves the businesses in a regulated industry. Parson says Proposition B, without the changes, would kill the industry. He says none of Missouri’s 1400 licensed breeders can meet the demands of the law. On the other hand, he says, Proposition B does nothing to unlicensed breeders.
Parson says his bill does four main things–it eliminates the fifty-dog limit, takes the issue out of the criminal laws and leaves the industry under practical regulation, requires breeders to have four inspections a year, makes it clear the law refers to dogs not the broader category of domesticated animals, and goes after unlicensed breeders–which Parson says proposition B does nothing about.
Kansas City Senator Jolie Justus tried to require a statewide vote in November 2012 but was easily voted down.
Listen to debate highlights, part one 47:04 mp3
Listen to more debate highlights, part 2 42:56 mp3
