Arkansas Senate Unanimously Passes Animal Cruelty Bill

Update Jan. 23, 2009: This bill is moving fast through the Arkansas legislature. The Senate has now passed it 34-0! 
The bill moves to the House. Contact Arkansas House members and urge them to vote yes on S.B. 77.
Read Animal Law Coalition's earlier reports below for more information and a copy of this bill.
Update Jan. 21, 2009: Today, the Arkansas Senate Judiciary Committee approved S.B. 77 on a voice vote.
Here is a copy of the bill.
For more on this bill and why you should urge Arkansas legislators to support it, read Animal Law Coalition's earlier report below. 
Original report: The promised felony animal cruelty bill, S.B. 77, has been introduced.
If it passes, Arkansas will have for the first time a law that makes animal cruelty a felony in some circumstances.
Right now, Arkansas is one of a few states where animal cruelty is not a felony no matter the circumstances. Efforts to make some animal cruelty a felony has failed in past legislative sessions. 
The Arkansas Farm Bureau, representing 227,000 farmers in the state, has said it will support this legislation as has the Arkansas Poultry Federation.

Read more here...

Know how to Lobby for animals?

Lobbying Tips Workshop to be held in Springfield, Mo.

On Saturday, January 17, the Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation will be holding a Lobbying Tips Seminar in Springfield, Mo.

Get tips on how to lobby in the state legislature, learn more about the Alliance's legislative agenda for 2009, sign up to participate in Lobby Day in Jefferson City, and learn about upcoming Alliance events in Springfield!

The event will be held
in Meeting Room B, noon to 1:30 p.m., Main Library Center, 4653 South Campbell, Springfield, Missouri 65810. Phone: (417) 882-0714.

This event will be hosted by the Alliance's Springfield coordinator, Kris Hegle.

To RSVP or for more information, please contact the Alliance at mail@maal.org or Kris Hegle at kahegle@aol.com.

Proposition 2 Passes in California!

The agribusiness industry spent $9 million in California to discourage and scare voters. Prop 2 passed by wide margins not just in the urban centers, but in 46 out of 58 counties—including solid majorities in rural counties with a large agricultural presence. Proposition 2, passed with 63.1%, or 6,592,694 votes, but doesn't take effect until 2015.


The measure bans confining crates and cages for hens, pregnant pigs and veal calves that don't allow the animals to turn around, lie down and extend their limbs. According to Daniel Sumner, from the UC Davis Agricultural Issues Center, "There is no reason to expect any significant change in the price of any eggs. That applies to eggs from cage-free hens too."


Egg farmers said it would be too costly to retrofit their farms. Sumner, a professor of agricultural economics, agrees. This confuses me since he also said, "There is no reason to expect any significant change in the price of any eggs". I guess we will see. I am willing to pay extra, I already spend three times as much to buy cage free eggs, what is another dollar to ensure that animals are being treated humanely. Violation of the law would result in a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, by imprisonment in the county jail of up to 180 days, or both imprisonment and fine.

The prohibition would not apply during scientific or agricultural research, veterinary testing and treatment, exhibitions, transportation or slaughter. It would also not apply to pregnant pigs during the seven-day period before the expected date of giving birth.

Source: latimes.com, Humane Society Legislative Fund, League of Women Voters of California

Wyoming makes 50! All 50 states have felony dog fighting laws!

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is pleased to announce that dog fighting is now a felony everywhere in the United States. Last week, Wyoming made dog fighting a felony, the 50th state in the country to do so.
More...

Alaska: Support Felony Penalties for Animal Cruelty

Alaska is one of just seven states in the entire country with no felony-level penalties for the most egregious acts of intentional animal cruelty, such as burning, poisoning, and torture.

Legislation (S.B. 273) has been introduced in the Alaska Senate to make it a felony to torture or poison an animal. This bill also increases the penalties for being a spectator at an animal fight. Stronger animal cruelty laws are essential to protect animals and our communities. It is critical that legislators hear from their constituents who support this bill!

TAKE ACTION
Please make a brief, polite call to your state senator and urge support for S.B. 273 to strengthen Alaska's animal cruelty law. Click here to look up your state senator and the phone number.

After you make your phone call, fill out and submit the form on the right to automatically send an email to your senator. Remember to personalize the text below so that your message will stand out and have a greater impact.

Tell Lawmakers to Ensure That Animal Cruelty Is Treated as a Serious Crime

The Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act of 2007 would require the FBI to add animal cruelty as a separate category in its crime data reporting system. Contact your senators and ask for their co-sponsorship and support of this bill!

The link between animal cruelty and other forms of societal violence is a national concern. The practice of dogfighting perfectly illustrates this connection, as it is almost always linked to illegal drug and weapons violations, gambling, aggravated assault and gang violence.

Laws that enable law enforcement agencies to address animal cruelty increasingly improve the lives of animals. However, reported incidents of animal cruelty are still not getting the attention they deserve because there is no national system designed to track these crimes. Instead, when local and state police agencies report animal cruelty incidents to the FBI, they are labeled “other offenses.” This in turn makes it nearly impossible to access and respond to even the most basic information about animal cruelty crimes and their perpetrators.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) wants to change this. Today, Sen. Menendez introduced the Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act of 2007, which would require the FBI to add animal cruelty as a separate category in its National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). Doing so will help law enforcement agencies track animal cruelty crimes, which will help stop the cycle of violence and allow researchers to study animal cruelty’s connection to other forms of societal violence. This critical bill ensures that animal cruelty is finally treated as a serious crime.

The American Humane Association supports this legislation. Tell your senators to co-sponsor and support the Tracking Animal Cruelty Crimes Act of 2007!

Animal Advocates Rally at Capitol Urging Lawmakers to Pass Bills that Would Ban Puppy Mills, Let Students Opt Out of Dissection

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Citizens from across Vermont will descend on the state capitol to meet with their lawmakers today to urge them to pass legislation to regulate commercial dog breeders and another bill which would let students opt out of dissection.

House Bill 769, which bans the large-scale breeding and sale of dogs typical of puppy mills, was introduced by the following Representatives: Virginia Milkey, Mary Morrissey, Betty Nuovo, Carolyn Branagan, Norman McAllister, Patsy French, Tony Klein, Sue Minter, Joan Lenes and Ann Manwaring.

"The commercial breeding of dogs as mere commodities is an inherently cruel practice that should not be allowed to take hold here in Vermont. This proactive legislation will prevent the suffering of dogs who are used as 'breeding machines' for profit, not enjoying life as man's best friend as they should be," said Joanne Bourbeau, HSUS New England regional director.

Senate Bill 34 would allow students to use an instructional alternative to dissecting, incubating, capturing or otherwise harming an animal. Originally introduced by Senators John Campbell, Vince Illuzzi and Dick McCormack, the bill passed the Senate during the first year of the biennium and now rests with the House Education Committee.

"Students who choose not to participate in animal dissection do so for many personal and ethical reasons. It wouldn't be right for us to deny them this choice, especially when studies have shown that alternatives provide similar if not better results in grades," Bourbeau said.

Last year, state legislatures across the country passed 86 new laws for animals. The HSUS works with animal advocates and state legislators across the country to enact laws protecting animals from cruelty, combating animal fighting, halting wildlife abuse, and more.

Support Senate Bill 102 to make animal torture a felony in Utah

Imagine how Henry felt when he was chased with a leaf blower and blinded in the left eye. Imagine how the little dog felt later when he was placed in a 200-degree oven for five minutes! Now imagine if Utah joined the 43 other states that currently make aggravated animal cruelty a felony. We owe it to Henry and the beautiful state of Utah to get Senate Bill 102 passed.

Currently, Utah has one of the weakest animal cruelty laws in the nation. Enhanced penalties send a message to the public that animal cruelty is a serious offense. Because Utah’s animal cruelty law lacks felony penalties, even the most horrific acts of torture to companion animals are virtually ignored. SB 102, introduced by Sen. Gene Davis (D-District 3), would make torturing a companion animal a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years' imprisonment and a $5,000 fine.

Contact your district senator and ask him or her to support and co-sponsor SB 102. Please also attend the Animal Advocacy Alliance’s lobby day, supported by American Humane, on Feb. 13, 2008. For more information and to RSVP for the event, please see http://www.henryslaw.com/.

This action alert is for residents of the following states only: Utah