Florida Anti-Bestiality Law Proposal Fails Again

Just over a week ago, we discussed how the State of Florida was struggling with animals -- specifically, the tendency of Florida residents to fornicate with them. There really ought to be a law, you know?

But Florida, along with about a dozen other states, doesn't have one. It's been the passion of Democratic State Senator Nan Rich to correct this matter, and yesterday, the Florida legislature finally had its chance. You can guess what happened next!

From every angle, a ban on animal bestiality, long pushed by state prosecutors and animal rights activists, seemed poised to finally become law this year, with Republicans and Democrats in both chambers of the Florida Legislature joining forces to push it through.

Yet it failed.

What? You have got to be kidding me, Florida! What happened?

Its advocates say that in the political stew of a legislative session, the very outrageousness of the topic worked against it.

I'm sorry, but you are going to have to explain that.

Lawmakers said they didn't want to be accused of wasting time addressing a rare crime when Floridians needed them to help create jobs. They also didn't want to debate the icky subject in public meetings occasionally frequented by children.

So, instead, you have a whole state, frequented by children, where people can, if they like, sex up a goat. What about the debate was going to be ickier than that?

As it turns out, there was a very specific reason why this failed to pass. You are just not going to believe this nonsense!

The Senate passed the measure twice, but it did not earn so much as a hearing in the House until this session, when Hasner proposed a compromise. The ban was tucked into an omnibus agriculture bill (HB 1445), which passed in the House.

But the Senate passed a different agriculture bill on the last day of the session that would have allowed some gun owners to store their guns in their vehicles in previously exempted locations. The bill (SB 382) also added a fertilizer provision that would make it easier for localities to approve strict ordinances. With mere hours left before the session's close, the House refused to take up the gun and fertilizer language, effectively slaying the agriculture bill.

A separate bill that addressed only animal bestiality never made it to the House floor.

Right, because that would have maybe made a lick of sense!

Anyway, SORRY, AREA FAUNA! Maybe you should hire some powerful lobbyists or something?

RELATED:
Why the state Legislature failed to pass a law banning bestiality [St. Petersburg Times]

PREVIOUSLY, on the HUFFINGTON POST:
Bestiality Law? Florida Takes Another Shot At Passing Bill

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Comments

[joeyfoto]

03:06 PM on 05/09/2010

Well now, at least Florida's chickens are safe from prosecution.

Florida is one of the most incarcerated states in the union, which makes it one of the most imprisoned places on earth. As they say here: "Come to Florida on vacation; leave on probation." While i doubt that this state's lawmakers, have the horse-sense to willfully leave this aberrational behavior to psychiatric intervention while leaving the cops out of it, but this is a sensible outcome.

For those of you who believe that Florida does not have enough criminal laws, there's always next session, assuming that the lege has solved all of the state's more pressing problems by then.

[AndyatHP]

02:43 PM on 05/09/2010

My wife and I travel to Florida often. Once, we too our dog on vacation with us. This dog, who is normally laid back and calm, was tense and nervous the whole time. We didnt understand it then. Now, it all makes sense.

[harmonicrat]

12:07 PM on 05/09/2010

I think Rubio should grab this by the horns.

[marythacher]

11:44 AM on 05/09/2010

Strange to say, this seems to me to be not such a bad outcome. That does not mean that I think bestiality is okay or, unfortunately, very rare. I suspect that it, like a number of other sexual perversions, is a lot more common than any of us would like to believe. I also suspect that this particular perversion is outlawed under Florida's animal cruelty laws. I also have serious reservations about legislating morality. To expect laws against all bad behavior abdicates personal responsibility.

[A Meat Beetle]

11:20 AM on 05/09/2010

As one who lived in the Sunshine State for 17 years, let me say this: You want to outlaw bestiality in Florida? Right, good luck with that!

[hischagal]

11:29 AM on 05/09/2010

This is a joke. Right?

[A Meat Beetle]

11:39 AM on 05/09/2010

No, it's not a joke. I have absolutely no sense of humor. They have some pretty gnarly people living in the remote swamplands of the state. Florida: Where men are men and alligators are nervous.

[holyfrak]

10:56 AM on 05/09/2010

I guess you have to be really, really careful when you're invited to play "pin the tail on the donkey" in Florida. The house rules for that game could require more involvement that you'd expect!

[Carlos Manuel]

10:48 AM on 05/09/2010

fowl fockers

[pictor]

10:06 AM on 05/09/2010

That goat is mighty fetching...mighty purty

[AleMaker]

09:23 AM on 05/09/2010

What right-wingers do with their own sheep on their own time is their own business. ;)

[Wayne Hackler]

09:15 AM on 05/09/2010

Ah, Florida. Where men are men and the sheep are scared. Real sheep, not GOP tbaggers.

[Jim281]

09:05 AM on 05/09/2010

Manatees have some many other things to worry about. And now, this!

[Jim281]

08:54 AM on 05/09/2010

"Her bovine eyes and sheepish demeaner are just tooo enticing to regulate!"

[Jim281]

08:51 AM on 05/09/2010

The naaaays have it!

[harmonicrat]

08:25 AM on 05/09/2010

Why don't they extend second amendment rights to goats? In Florida, that should pass with a rebel yell!

[ctman47]

09:33 AM on 05/09/2010

What, that everyone has a right to bear a goat or "bare a goat"?

[david5000]

07:20 AM on 05/09/2010

There should be a law protecting Gerbils .