We here at West Virginia Watchdog are appreciative of our friend Don Surber. Surber is a columnist with the Charleston Daily Mail, and the past two days he has been keeping track of bills in our West Virginia Legislature which could be considered a bit goofy.

On Tuesday he brought attention to House Bill 2061, sponsored by Del. Barbara Hatfield, D-Kanawha. The bill would prohibit “abusive behavior towards elephants by an owner or manager.” Click the link to read the Don’s story: W.Va. House Bill of the day « Don Surber.

Don’s story comes a day before the Associated Press released a story about People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) asking permission to display a statute of a shackled elephant in Charletson, W.Va. WSAZ-TV has the story:

The animal rights group has put the 4 1/2-foot fiberglass statue in cities around the country to protest what it calls animal cruelty in circuses.

(Municipal Beautification) Commission members said Tuesday that they won’t oppose the statue’s display in a downtown plaza from April 7 to April 21. But PETA must show proof of insurance and provide assurance that its protest won’t be a nuisance.

Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus is scheduled to be in Charleston from April 21 to April 25.

WSAZ-TV – PETA Elephant Statue Allowed in W.Va. Capital

Considering the abuse that House Republicans took last week when trying to use discharge motions to move their agenda items to the floor, I think it’s nice that a House Democrat has brought forward this legislation to prevent the ill treatment of elephants – the mascots of the Republican Party. Maybe it will translate to better treatment to House Republicans themselves?

Probably not, since Surber highlighted House Bill 2424, sponsored by House Republicans Troy Andes, John Overington, Jonathan Miller, Craig Blair, and Patrick Lane. The bill would repeal the “Code of West Virginia and adopting in lieu thereof the Code of the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Hmmm, why not? Let’s just dissolve the state and rejoin Virginia. Then I can fold West Virginia Watchdog and join up with Paige Winfield Cunningham, my friend that runs Old Dominion Watchdog.

Our legislators are silly people.

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