Post by Logan on Feb 28, 2017 18:24:18 GMT -6
The list of idiotic bills in the Montana legislature that was published here recently had a glaring omission: SB 364, introduced by GOP House member Donley Loge from St. Regis.
At a hearing on this bill last week, representative Loge said he is fearful that service dogs and their owners are perpetrating a massive fraud, and wants a new crime of “fraudulently representing your dog.” He said he believes that dogs are running rampant disguised as service dogs but are not truly providing service to their owners and are merely pets gaming the system. He said that dogs posing as service dogs are “coming into grocery stores” and other locations, in a “fraudulent manner.” The only other proponent for this bill was another state Republican legislator, Barry Usher, from Billings (when the only supporters of a bill are legislators, it’s not a good sign). In his testimony, Usher said that he was recently in an establishment trying to have a meal, but saw a service dog of a fraudulent nature, was outraged by it, and began considering the greater problem across society of fake service dogs who are “making everyone suffer.”
Also in attendance at the hearing were several service dogs whose owners testified. One dog growled at the bill sponsor during his testimony. I thought of reaching out to Republican leadership to ask why such a bill is needed, but I figured I might get a smarter response from one of the dogs who attended the hearing, a great dane. He says he helps his owner by preventing her from falling. She easily loses her balance and so she walks with one hand on her dog’s back. Only a great dane is tall enough to serve this purpose.
In the future, the Montana GOP might do better if it not only allowed dogs to attend hearings, but also allowed them to draft the legislation.
mtcowgirl.com/2017/02/20/gop-takes-aim-at-service-dogs/
At a hearing on this bill last week, representative Loge said he is fearful that service dogs and their owners are perpetrating a massive fraud, and wants a new crime of “fraudulently representing your dog.” He said he believes that dogs are running rampant disguised as service dogs but are not truly providing service to their owners and are merely pets gaming the system. He said that dogs posing as service dogs are “coming into grocery stores” and other locations, in a “fraudulent manner.” The only other proponent for this bill was another state Republican legislator, Barry Usher, from Billings (when the only supporters of a bill are legislators, it’s not a good sign). In his testimony, Usher said that he was recently in an establishment trying to have a meal, but saw a service dog of a fraudulent nature, was outraged by it, and began considering the greater problem across society of fake service dogs who are “making everyone suffer.”
Also in attendance at the hearing were several service dogs whose owners testified. One dog growled at the bill sponsor during his testimony. I thought of reaching out to Republican leadership to ask why such a bill is needed, but I figured I might get a smarter response from one of the dogs who attended the hearing, a great dane. He says he helps his owner by preventing her from falling. She easily loses her balance and so she walks with one hand on her dog’s back. Only a great dane is tall enough to serve this purpose.
In the future, the Montana GOP might do better if it not only allowed dogs to attend hearings, but also allowed them to draft the legislation.
mtcowgirl.com/2017/02/20/gop-takes-aim-at-service-dogs/