Because of the fallout of Proposition B in 2010, there has been quite a number of people who continue to keep their eyes open and watch the actions of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Unfortunately, HSUS is back again, trying to make changes to Missouri’s laws — after the group had said last year that it was not going to do another ballot initiative in Missouri.

This time, the group wants to see to it that once a ballot measure wins voters’ approval, it cannot be undone. After HSUS spent millions of dollars to convince voters to approve Proposition B, people only then realized what the measure would do to nearly anyone who owns a dog, much less runs a legitimate dog breeding operation. The Missouri General Assembly was forced to come in and rescue a terribly flawed idea. We did, and the governor — and many Missourians — agreed with us. But, HSUS did not see it this way.

HSUS’s “Your Vote Counts” initiative petition effort sounds like a good idea, but — as I pointed out above — it could severely hinder the legislative and initiative process in Missouri. Moreover, HSUS has returned to its method of raising money from anywhere but here. According to the Missouri Ethics Commission, only $150 of more than $165,000 raised actually came from the Show-Me State. The rest came from points beyond. If we look at its efforts in other states, we know that it ultimately wants to stop all animal agriculture.

Based on what HSUS did in 2010 to try and end legal dog breeding in Missouri, I see the group using any technique it can in order to convince a majority of the voters to approve this ridiculous ballot initiative. Sure, it may sound good on the surface, but so did saving every dog born in the state. HSUS had nothing to do with saving any dog bred in Missouri. The “Missouri Solution” did. By the same token, HSUS will not help make initiative petition votes any safer, it will merely tell everybody a bad idea is set in stone.

Given the lack of money coming from Missouri and going to HSUS on this proposal, I would say people get it, and they know HSUS is bad news for us.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please contact my office.