This Bill’s For the Dogs

Democratic lawmakers have been hard at work passing important health care legislation and a contentious union bill, but not all the proposed bills floating around the capitol are so earnest.

It was Bring Your Dog to Work Day Monday as a bill that will allow physical therapists to treat dogs passed unanimously out of the Health & Human Services Committee. Rep. Anne McGihon (D-Denver) brought her two border collies to the hearing, one of which she said had benefited from physical therapy after surgery. Currently, a veterinarian must be present for a physical therapist to treat animals.

McGihon is also the House sponsor of Senate Bill 23, which would restrict minors from using tanning beds. As it stands, underage teens and children must have a permission note from parents before they tan. The bill didn’t escape the tongue-in-cheek wrath of Westword‘s Adam Cayton-Holland. In his “What’s So Funny?” column, Cayton-Holland accused McGihon and the bill’s senate sponsor, Bob Hagedorn, of trying to deprive Colorado of tanned teenage beauties. He called them “Team Will Somebody Please Sign My Yearbook,” among other, less polite, things.

As of yet, no bills have been introduced that would bar dogs from using tanning beds or allow tawny teens to perform physical therapy, but we’ll keep you updated.