Florida legislature and Gov. approve dying of animals for Easter sales: A Pack of Putrid Punditry Award goes out this morning to the Florida State legislature and Governor Rick Scott, who took part in passing a law which reverses a 45-year ban on artificially dyeing birds and other small animals.

It is amazing what some people will do for profit. While we need to be working on improving animal welfare, elected officials in Florida are looking to promote the sale of artificially colorful chicks and bunnies during holiday seasons. These folks are clueless as to what happens to so many of these “pets” a little later in their short lives.

And they are clueless as to what happens in some of the animal mills that breed these pets for sale to the public.

The Animal Rights Foundation of Florida had asked Governor Scott to veto the bill.

What is it with Florida? The state seems to be perpetually in the news – and not in a good way – from being the greyhound racing capital of the US – to the 2000 election debacle – to the Casey Anthony trial debacle – to the investigation controversy in the Trayvon Martin case – to pulling back important animal-welfare regulations.

Come on Florida, get it together. A few oddballs in your state are damaging your overall reputation – in a huge way.