Backyard chicken bill sparks Foghorn Leghorn impression in the Texas Legislature

Anyone with a strong objection to backyard chickens or animated cartoons would probably say the Texas Legislature laid an egg this week.

The State Senate on Wednesday passed a bill allowing the keeping of six or fewer backyard chickens, but only after the august body was subjected to a Q-and-A full of awful puns, culminating with Sen. Paul Bettencourt's impression of Foghorn Leghorn.

Bettencourt's performance can be seen in the video above. For footage of the full fowl debate, head over HoustonChronicle.com. Listen to Mike Ward and Scott Braddock's take on the week in Austin - chicken or otherwise - in the latest edition of the Texas Take podcast.

Made famous in the heyday of Looney Tunes in the 1950s and '60s, Foghorn Leghorn is a big white cartoon rooster with bushy red tail and comb, who speaks with the overbearing tones of a Southern good 'ol boy politician. He frequently says, "Ah say, ah say..." (Story continues below.)

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The Texas Senate on Wednesday, April 5, 2017, passed Senate Bill 1620, allowing the raising of six or fewer backyard chickens. It must now be taken up by the Texas House of Representatives. The Texas Senate on Wednesday, April 5, 2017, passed Senate Bill 1620, allowing the raising of six or fewer backyard chickens. It must now be taken up by the Texas House of Representatives. Photo: Michael Paulsen, Staff Photo: Michael Paulsen, Staff Image 1 of / 11 Caption Close Backyard chicken bill sparks Foghorn Leghorn impression in the Texas Legislature 1 / 11 Back to Gallery

Bettencourt and the others were talking about Senate Bill 1620, introduced by Sen. Van Taylor. In starting the discussion, Taylor noted that several major Texas cities, including Houston, Dallas, El Paso and Austin, allow residents to keep backyard chickens.

"But some still have outdated ordinances," he said.

Once Taylor finished his introduction, Sen. Dan Patrick, the senate president, opened the floor to roasting by the others.

"I truly feel this is an egg-ceptional piece of legislation," said Sen. Bob Hall. "How did you hatch this idea? I would like to peck at it a little bit. Do you count the chickens before they hatch? Did you egg-nore any stakeholder?"

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"I'm going to have to chicken out," Taylor dead-panned.

Patrick interjected, "This has turned into 'Hee Haw.' This is not good."

Sen. Lois Kolkhorst managed to include a serious comment: "I want to thank you for bringing this.... I think this is a liberty thing. If you want to raise your own food, you ought to be able to."

Sen. Sylvia Garcia of Houston noted that she grew up in the country and had fond memories of chickens. She wondered why Taylor's bill limited the number to six. He responded that it represented an average of the numbers found in other ordinances.

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"I plan to support your bill, but I think you need to think about amending it," Garcia said. "It's always cheaper by the dozen."

The groans kept coming until Bettencourt literally "dropped the mic" when he finished his Foghorn Leghorn remarks.

"If anyone else passes a chicken bill that allows him to do that impression again, it will not make it to the floor," Patrick said.