On Wednesday evening, Pennsylvania legislature passed an important bill at the urging of the ASPCA to protect and improve the lives of puppies born and bred into puppy mills. Though many animal rights advocates believe the bill doesn’t go far enough in the prevention of inhumane treatment to animals born and bred under conditions similar to those known to be used in commercial concentrated animal feeding operations, the bill does require some important first steps.

The bill calls for puppy mills to double the cage space required for dogs in Pennsylvania’s commercial breeding facilities, prohibits wire flooring and the stacking of cages, mandates exercise and twice-yearly veterinary exams for all dogs, and requires that animals be humanely euthanized by licensed veterinarians.

With the passage of the bill, Pennsylvania hopes to shed its reputation as the Puppy Mill Capital of the East, says the ASPCA. And the bill will certainly improve the lives of thousands of puppies bred for commercial profit in Pennsylvania. But let’s hope that it goes beyond that. Let’s hope this raises awareness among the public and puts a stop to the exploitation of defenseless baby animals for monetary gain.

Please see here to find 10 ways you can help fight puppy mills

This Wednesday October 15th, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm,  Global Green, the American Institute of Architects New Orleans Chapter and the US Green Building Council will host their monthly free panel discussion on “sustainability in the built environment,” for which the October session will discuss “adaptive reuse and renovation in local architecture.” The panel will discuss how architects approach sustainability in preexisting urban environments.

AIA New Orleans will host the session featuring a variety of architects who will provide examples and comment on methods of sustainability in urban locations, with emphasis on New Orleans’ historical architecture.

The panel will be held at the Tulane School of Architecture, Richardson Memorial Hall, Room 204, and will be hosted by Brett Petry,  of AIA, Marcel Wisznia, AIA, principal of Wisznia Associates and Jeffrey Smith, AIA, partner of the firm Holly and Smith Architects.

For information see here. 

What on earth is happening to the Republicans? While it’s unfair to judge a broad-based party by the actions of a clearly demented few, recent events on the campaign trail are drawing even staunch conservatives to wonder where things went so horribly wrong. Highly publicized reports have audience members yelling “Terrorist!” and “Kill him!” in response to John McCain’s and Sarah Palin’s provocative stump speeches. Racist epithets have rained down on black stage workers. Observers on both sides note the atmosphere more often than not resembles a lynch mob than a political rally. Perhaps realizing the damage being wrought on his election chances — and, worse yet, on his vaunted honor — McCain broke from his running mate’s race-baiting rhetoric, stating yesterday that supporters need not fear Barack Obama nor his potential presidency. His calls for a return to rationality were met with jeers. One woman refused the senator’s request, saying she still didn’t trust Obama because “he’s an Arab.” Are these really the kinds of people to whom McCain, hemorrhaging poll points like a hemophiliac, should be handing microphones? Tellingly, many of the right wing’s most tenacious rowers are showing signs of jumping ship. Last week on Larry King Live, National Review columnist Kathleen Parker (who last month called for Palin to spare McCain by abdicating her nomination) and longtime Republican strategist Michelle Laxalt expressed their disdain for the direction of Steve Schmidt’s campaign, indicating their votes might be up for grabs come Nov. 4. Talk about your October surprises: Who could have guessed that it would be the self-appointed maverick who has yet to get started, and not the slaphappy moron who is a public mockery, to slip a poison pill to the Grand Old Party?

• In our cover story, Jeremy Alford takes a look at the Landrieu/Kennedy megabrawl for the U.S. Senate seat…

• Clancy DuBos runs the numbers on the Bill Jefferson/Helena Moreno race for the House of Representatives, and comes to some interesting conclusions. Math don’t lie…

• A stripper-turned-preacher, a rockabilly legend, and the fierce competitors for a drag beauty title are among the subjects of documentaries at the New Orleans Film Festival. Will Coviello, Noah Bonaparte Pais, David Lee Simmons, and Caroline Goyette review some of the more interesting offerings…

• Alison Fensterstock previews the 3rd annual Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival…

• …and there’s a row in our Letters section regarding Clancy’s column last week regarding Entergy New Orleans. Weighing in: a spokesperson for Entergy, the Alliance for Affordable Energy, and New Orleans councilmember Shelley Midura.

Pick up the paper on Sunday, or click back here on Monday.

Contrary to what many expected (and some still believe), voters in the Second Congressional District Democratic primary did not cast their ballots strictly along racial lines on Oct. 4. In fact, nearly two-thirds of the white vote went to black candidates rather than to the sole white contender, former TV newscaster Helena Moreno.

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