hoghouse

attrib. connotating legislation that has been stripped of its original provisions and amended to accomplish a different purpose. Also as verb. Subjects: North Dakota, South Dakota, English, Politics, Slang

Etymological Note: The history given in the last citation is plausible but unverified.

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Citations: 1994 Associated Press (Feb. 23) “Beddow Turns Sights on GOP Candidates” (in Sioux Falls, South Dakota): A “hoghouse amendment” in 1976 that turned another unrelated bill into an income tax bill. 1995 Chet Brokaw @ Pierre, South Dakota (Associated Press) (Nov. 15) “State Senator Urges Restrictions On Use Of Hog-house Amendments”: The use of so-called hog-house amendments takes away the public’s right to comment on legislation because a bill can be rewritten to address a new subject after public hearings have already been held on the original measure. 2001 Associated Press (Mar. 18) “Freshman Lawmakers” (in Rapid City, South Dakota): Others criticized a practice called “hog-housing,” which is used to resurrect bills that have been killed or to introduce legislation after the filing deadline. “The hog-house leads to too many tricks and games in committee, on the floor, and as we’ve seen in these last days, in conference committee.” 2007 Janell Cole In-Forum (Fargo, North Dakota) (Jan. 31) “Changed WSI bill passes in Senate”: That wasn’t what Sen. Joel Heitkamp, D-Hankinson, prime sponsor of the bill, originally wrote when it was introduced. He proposed converting the WSI board to an advisory body and returning authority to the governor to hire and fire the agency’s director. He and other Democrats objected when Sen. Nick Hacker, R-Grand Forks, amended his bill completely last week—a practice known as “hog housing”—and fought adoption of the amendment on the Senate floor Tuesday. 2007 Joel C. Heitkamp In-Forum (Fargo, North Dakota) (Feb. 6) “‘Hoghouse’ of WSI legislation turned it into fraud and farce”: At the urging of WSI, and led by Sen. Nick Hacker, R-Grand Forks, all the Republicans in the Senate, except Sen. Nething, butchered SB 2257. They stripped the bill of its meaningful reform measures using what is called a “hoghouse” procedure. 2007 Tom Lawrence Black Hills Pioneer (Spearfish, South Dakota) (Apr. 30) “Hog House Blog offers Denise Ross’ reports on the state”: Hog House, a reference to gutting a bill and replacing the language, is a term often used in Pierre. About 90 years ago politicians altered a bill at the last second to obtain funding for a hog barn at SDSU, and the term stuck like pig muck to a boot.

Posted 7 Feb 07 | Permalink | Tell a Friend