Free Talk Live

Politicians in Florida have passed a bill banning all sex with animals. The bill designed to combat bestiality makes it an offense to engage in sexual activity with "animals".

Text of the bill here: http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2011/0344/BillText/Filed/PDF

Conservationists have expressed outrage over the lack of American wildlife ownership laws after the slaughter of 49 animals, including 18 rare Bengal tigers, set free from a private Ohio farm.

"Quite frankly, nobody should have these animals in the first place, so we need to take steps to change laws to make that a reality," Adam Roberts, executive vice president of Born Free USA, told AFP.

In 2009 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) put a few more notches on its belt—2,301, to be exact. That’s how many cats and dogs met their demise at the hands of this radical animal rights group last year, according to PETA’s own “Animal Record” filings with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

This also reads well if you substitute "Government" for people feeding animals, and "Government Handouts" for food... Berkeley Lake city leaders have proposed an ordinance that would impose fines up to $1,000 for willfully feeding wildlife, from chipmunks to vultures. The exceptions: fish and songbirds.

Do you feel there are too many laws? Do you know all of the federal, state, and local laws? Are you able to keep up with all of the new laws? Do laws make people more or less free?

Sadly, while this may seem like a strange surge in cases starting out this year, it actually isn’t abnormal. Last year’s statistical report revealed that sexual misconduct reports against police were the second most common type of police misconduct report for the 8.5 months that we tracked reports in 2009 and that nearly half of those 500+ sexual misconduct reports involved the sexual abuse of children.

For a great laugh, mental floss lists the 50 funny laws that are still on the books. Two of my favorites, in New Hampshire it's illegal to use a false name to check into a hotel and in Illinois people under the age of 21 can legally drink alcohol as long as they are enrolled in a culinary arts program.

On Sunday, the Swiss will vote in a referendum to decide whether states should appoint special attorneys to represent animals in court. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, Zurich's animal-rights lawyer, Antoine Goetschel, speaks about the job, the vote's chances of success and why eco-friendly Switzerland needs even more animal-protection laws.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (CBS/TV3 New Zealand) -- When it comes to animal welfare, you can't fault the SPCA. They rescue animals in trouble, provide medical care, love and shelter, and prosecute people who harm animals and educate people who want to look after them. But the SPCA's biggest challenge is constantly finding good homes for all the animals they find or rescue.