Declarations

Dangerous pooches
“You never hear stories about roving packs of golden retrievers attacking children in our streets. … But you do hear about the pit bulls, who are responsible, according to Minnesota statistics, for up to one third of the vicious attacks in this state in the past five years.”

A Minnesota state lawmaker called on his colleagues last week to make it illegal to own five breeds of dogs he deemed a threat to public safety. Rep. John Lesch, DFL-St. Paul, said he plans to push next year for a state ban on Akitas, chow chows, Rottweilers, pit bulls and wolf hybrids or mixed-breed dogs with any of the above traits. To drive home his point, Lesch appeared at a Capitol news conference with 5-year-old Brianna Senn, whose face carried wounds from a pit bull attack this month on St. Paul’s East Side. Lesch mentioned other serious attacks in recent months and distributed a packet of news clippings about them. AP

Midwifery and health insurance
“Midwifery and health insurance are two vastly different subjects, and the former clearly is not expressed in the bill’s title … the deceptive amendment also violates a constitutional doctrine that prohibits amendments that change the original purpose of a bill.”

Legislation allowing midwives to deliver babies at home in Missouri will likely be challenged in court by doctors’ groups. The measure was approved by lawmakers in May as part of larger health insurance bill signed June 1 by Gov. Matt Blunt. Most of the bill won’t take effect until January, but the section on midwifery becomes effective in August. The comment opposing the legislation was on the Web site of the Missouri State Medical Association. The organization’s lobbyist, Tom Holloway, said the group expects to file suit to block the provision in Cole County Circuit Court. The association contends the overall legislation violated the Missouri Constitution’s ban on bills containing multiple subjects. The title of the bill was “relating to health insurance.” Beyond the constitutional matter, doctors and hospitals have opposed the practice of midwifery as unsafe and fraught with liability problems. AP

A cool million
“I think our companies were very happy about the way it turned out and would probably be strong in 2008 again. … Nobody is questioning whether it was worth it. They all realize it was.

A spokesperson comments for Minnesotans Against Fraud & Higher Insurance Costs. The organization is a lobbying group that spent almost $1 million to combat a proposal that essentially would make it easier for consumers to sue insurers they felt didn’t give them a fair shake on a claims settlements. According to an Associated Press story, it turned out to be money well spent: Lawmakers went home without passing the proposal. Newly filed reports with state regulators put Minnesotans Against Fraud & Higher Insurance Costs in the top ranks of lobbying groups. Only the state teachers union, Education Minnesota, spent more.