BOXING BILL DEAD!
Washington, DC-That headline sounds like an obituary for an old-time boxer. Its not, but it may be worse, or better, depending on your point of view. The Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2005 was sunk this week like the USS Maine in Havana Harbor in 1898, and went down just about as fast., THERE ARE TWO HOUSES OF U.S. CONGRESS
Senator John H. McCain shepherded the boxing bill through Senate channels, and it was approved on May 9, 2005. However, as nothing is ever quite simple when it comes to our government, any law must pass both houses of congress, and in the House of Representatives things did not go nearly as smoothly. Representative Peter King of New York introduced a companion bill, to the Senate version, in the House of Representatives on March 24, 2005. May 5th saw the King sponsored bill relegated to a House subcommittee on workforce protections. It languished there doing nothing.
BOXING BILL NEWS LOST IN IRAQ, CIA LEAK, ETC.!
This past week, (after an article appeared here the previous week, I might add) the bill was brought out of its hiding place, dusted off, and voted on by the full House of Representatives. The vote was 233 anti, and 190 for the bills passage for a 43-vote defeat of the proposed legislation.
DEMS APPROVE, REPUBLICANS DEFEAT BOXING BILL
The House of Representatives had spoken about their thoughts of the necessity for a boxing bill. Politically, Democrats overwhelming passed the bill with a vote of 146-50, while the Republicans were even more heavily against it with a vote of 183-43. Ten members of the House did not vote for one reason or another. There is a one-vote error in the above numbers. Apparently one member couldnt make up his or her mind.
SANS REGULATION, THINGS CANT GET BETTER!
What this all means is that an attempt to form a government backed control board over United States boxing is dead for at least this year. Various state commissions will continue to operate as dictatorships, which are not good, not for you the fan, the fighter, or the game itself!
Leo Lawton
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