For the third straight year, a bill that would protect the state's nonprofit spay/neuter clinics was defeated. That came last week on the last day of the 2014 legislative session. The bill didn't lose on a straight up/down vote. In fact, it may have passed by a good margin had there been a vote.



Sponsored by state Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, the bill did well in the House, and it made it out of a Senate committee by a wide margin (8-4). But it failed because of Paul Bussman, the Republican senator from Cullman, who threatened to shut down the Senate with a filibuster if the bill was brought up. Bussman knew he couldn't win a fair fight, so he didn't try. Nothing wrong with a senator voting his convictions, even if it's against such a good program as spay/neuter. To prevent an opportunity for a vote on a popular, much-needed law, though, is wrong.



Of course, we mustn't forget that Bussman is getting campaign money from the special interests opposed to nonprofit spay/neuter clinics.





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So Bussman is the No.1 person to blame. Let him know what you think.

Don't forget the bullying by the

, either, led by its president Robert Pitman and former member Ronald Welch, who, thankfully, was replaced earlier this year after one stormy term.

The ASBVME has been conducting administrative hearings for months against Dr. William Weber because of his association with the

in Irondale. Weber is a well-respected veterinarian who has compassion for the animals he treats. He believes in the importance of spay/neuter to reduce the population of unwanted dogs and cats and to lower the awful euthanasia rate in the state.

The ASBVME isn't a very transparent board, and its website isn't very helpful. There's not even a way to contact individual board members through email links. But Pitman practices in Athens in Limestone County. He runs

where he makes money from taxpayers by putting down unwanted animals.

Welch, meanwhile, practices in Wetumpka.

Don't forget Buddy Bruce, president of the

, a small group that split from the state

and was created primarily to fight against the nonprofit spay/neuter clinics.