Responding to an upswing in the practice of dog fishing, Alabama lawmakers have sent a measure to the Governor's desk outlawing the cruel sport.
"We need to send a message to folks that catching dogs from the back of moving pick-up trucks with fishing poles and raw meat is unacceptable," Senator Hinton Mitchem told colleagues during debate. J.T. "Jabo" Waggoner, who argued against the measure, fired back, "I'll bet if it were cats, Hinton would be singing a different tune." Waggoner was obliquely referring to Mitchem's chain of Takee-Outee Chinese Restaurants. His comments solicited a round of applause from other Republicans in the Upper Chamber.
The bill, SB 40, makes it illegal for individuals to use fishing equipment while operating a moving vehicle. Fines range from a warning to a monetary charge not to exceed $10. If a person is caught with a canine in the vehicle, the animal will be confiscated until it can be determined that there are no hooks or barbs in the dog.
The vote in the Senate was 20 - 12, mostly along party lines. Senator W.H. "Pat" Lindsey voted present, as he died on Monday, two days before the final tally was taken.
