CAPITOL LETTERS

House members may bark and bay like hounds spontaneously. But senators do their doggie comedy acts strictly according to a script.

To wit: No fewer than four -- count them -- senators delivered what came off as very un-spontaneous "laugh lines" as the Senate this afternoon amended and returned to the House a bill by Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas.

His bill would require the Governor's Division of Emergency Management to work with local governments on plans to evacuate household pets during a disaster.

Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, said studies show many people are reluctant to leave their homes during hurricanes or other disasters because they "have no plan, no way to get their pets out." So much for the serious side of the bill.

"Very stinky," quipped Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, who was in the chair.

I'll spare you details of the "gag" amendment by Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, which calls for "priority efforts and assistance" for "appropriately documented Mexican Chihuahua breed canines."

What North Texans need to know is that according to Mr. Hinojosa, the Branch household lost a beloved dog of 14 years named Simba. Just as Mr. Hinojosa proposed to name the bill "Simba's Law," right on cue came Mr. Brimer's amendment to the amendment. It added to the section designating the act as Simba's Law a paragraph purportedly containing the names of 31 dogs that belong to senators.

For a list of those lucky four-legged creatures, click here: