Cockfighting bill takes severe blow in a state Senate committee

Friday, February 25th 2005, 6:30 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A state senator from Henryetta who wants to allow legal cockfights using little boxing gloves on gamecocks suffered a blow when his bill missed a legislative deadline.

Senator Frank Shurden says the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee refused to hear the measure.

Thursday was the deadline for committee action on Senate bills, meaning that bills that were not heard are dead for the session.

Shurden says if he can build enough support, he may try to amend a related bill to insert a provision allowing a new form of cockfighting, where boxing gloves are used instead of metal spurs.

Oklahoma voters banned cockfighting in 2002. The practice is still legal in Louisiana and New Mexico.