It's 2012 and Silly Season Has Arrived

Today's the last day for introducing new bills in Sacramento.
See CaRPOC's legislative page for up-to-the-minute news on Capitol happenings.
Updates on the federal PUPS legislation [Senate Bill 707 (S.707) and House Bill 835 (H.R. 835)] coming soon.

Long Time No Blog

I've done virtually no tweeting or blogging other than posting to lists and commenting on animal rights inspired actions since, well, my last post here. It was quite a year, and I'm glad so many others were able to keep cyberspace informed about the animal rights industry.

Thanks to all the California Assemblymembers who voted NO or abstained from voting on CA SB 250 on the last day of August 2010. (see video of the last 30 min or so)

Senator Dave Cox is gone ~ we miss you, Dave... ~ please God, bring someone at least as good to take over his old District 1.

Bits and pieces...

• November is coming. VOTE THEM ALL OUT. If they bought into or were paid by the AR community, California doesn't need 'em. Do your research, call friends, educate 'em and VOTE.
  

• My favorite site for documentation on H$U$ and the AR industry.

• Last year PeTA killed 97.3% of all animals in their shelter and found homes for EIGHT.

http://www.cfodconline.org/legislation.html

California Legislative Schedule: nada till Aug 17th

Here's the latest info as of midnight tonight; call, fax and especially VISIT your district and Capitol legislators' offices during the next two weeks. Do you want these anti-animal bills to become law? No? Then step awaaaay from the computer and act NOW. :D

I'm not posting a bunch of links tonight; got everything from searching here. Nothing is currently scheduled until the Assembly and Senate gets back from their summer break.

1. AB233: in ASM Appropriations suspense file
2. ACR 74: in ASM Business and Professions ~ both may come back in 2010
3. SB250: in ASM Appropriations suspense file; can come out of suspense at any time
4. SB135: in ASM Appropriations, no hearing date set
5. AB1437: in SEN Health, no hearing date set
6. AB241, AB242 & AB243: all to be heard in SEN Appropriations on 8/17
7. AB1122: to the SEN floor for vote on or after 8/1
8. SB318: to the ASM floor for vote on or after 8/17

In case you've forgotten what these bills mean, here's a quick summary of the primary concerns:

• AB1122 - virtually no more pet sales in the entire state... unless you're a shelter or animal control. The bill plays into the whole 'guardian' vs owner language plus a nod toward the anti-animal folks who say 'animals are not ours to enslave.' The Calif Dept of Finance Opposes this bill (per 7/22/09 analysis).

• SB318 - allows personal property to be seized and then awarded, without first going through a trial, to private organizations for resale and profit. Perhaps the very organizations which caused the property to be seized.

• AB243 - also allows property to be seized and then given, without first going through a trial, to private organizations for resale and profit. Again, perhaps the very organizations which caused the property to be seized.

• AB241 - allows HSUS to determine how many dogs or cats anyone can own OR CARE FOR. Will destroy small businesses including boarding kennels and service dog kennels in California. It has virtually nothing to do with poor quality commercial dog breeders; the author has identified only 5 such kennels, but perhaps 1,000 other boarding/service/police/show dog kennels will become illegal.
  

• AB242 - anti dogfighting bill. HSUS sponsored. Increases penalties and probable number of inmates in state's penal system, thus increasing state costs. The Calif Dept of Finance is neutral but notes monetary concerns on this bill.

• SB250 - mandates every cat and dog in the state be sterilized unless owners buy an unaltered pet license IF local governments CHOOSE to make them available. The Calif Dept of Finance Opposes this bill (per 6/24/09 and 7/14/09 analyses).

• SB135 - the Cow Tail Bill. HSUS tells dairies how to manage their business. Will cause dairy cow deaths since shortened tails would be considered 'animal abuse.' Off to the butchers they'll go...
  

• AB1437 - HSUS tells egg ranchers outside California how to manage their business. Affects interstate commerce. Affects egg production & sales. Demands hen housing systems proven to increase chicken deaths and chicken illnesses - for out of state businesses.

• AB233 - tax return rebates for buying a shelter animal.

• ACR 74 - resolution with no legal impact. Endorses No Kill animal shelter methods, though promised changes dilute them to the point of non-usefulness.
  

I don't feel like it ... but I'll do it anyway

Ever want to just throw in the towel and quit fighting the ARs? Yea, me too sometimes. Writing blog posts isn't all that fun, especially the dry boring *important* stuff I usually mention.

But it's necessary. Not always on a schedule, but when I can and when it's important. Thanks for your patience.

---------------

• CA AB1122 ~to SEN Appropriations; no hearing date set.
  

• AB1437 ~to SEN Health on Wed 7/15th ... though rumor says it may get held in Committee until next year. We'll see.

• CA AB241, AB242, AB243 ~ all to be heard in SEN Public Safety on Tues 7/14.

• CA SB250 ~ to ASM Appropriations on Wed 7/15.

• CA SB318 ~ 3rd reading on Assembly Floor TODAY 7/11 ~ Item 101. Could be voted on any time starting today??

• CA SB135 ~ back to ASM Appropriations; no hearing date set as of now.

There, see? Easy. Now comes the hard part: CALLING, WRITING and FAXING for each and every bill, one at a time, over and over *this weekend* because we're getting down to the wire. If they've had amendments in their current House, Bills will need to go back to the originating House for another floor vote. If they pass that ... they go to Governor Schwarzenegger's desk.

Cow Tails. NO Budget yet. Unbelievable.

... even the Senate website link is broken this morning. Boo...

SB250 and SB318 - both on to new committees

Hey, sorry about not reporting the votes sooner; the Cow Tail Saga had my attention yesterday.

SB250 passed out of ASM Business and Professions on a straight party line vote, and will be heard within 1 to 2 weeks by ASM Appropriations. Rumor has it the hearing date will be July 15, but that's yet to be confirmed. Fax, write and mail in your opposition today; PetPAC has information to help you get 'er done.

Remember: the California Department of Finance says SB250 will cost the state millions and millions and millions of dollars. It will be the cause of death for who knows how many thousands more shelter animals every year. It will immediately make lawbreakers out of millions of people who do not have a spare $200.-$500. to sterilize their pet cats and dogs.

C'mon now. If you were

• out of work,
  
• losing your home to foreclosure, and
  
• barely able to put food on your table thanks to our 11%, 12% or even 18% unemployment rate,

would you care for your family, or would you let Animal Control take your pet because you're already at the end of your rope? This bill is flat-out CRUEL.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SB318 (dogfighting forfeitures) also passed out of ASM Public Safety, 7 to zip. I'm not sure but it may be heading to the Assembly Floor next. There are still some Constitutional issues; I'm also not completely assured that the right to a trial before property forfeiture is protected in this bill.

By the way, given that some 'humane' groups which conduct dogfighting raids have million dollar budgets - even a couple hundred million, like HSUS - why does SB318 incentivize such organizations to conduct those raids by giving them half of the seized property? It seems like a rather counterintuitive move.

Cow Tails and Hearing Cancellations

Governor Schwarzenegger is a bit peeved at the attention both Houses are giving to bills concerning nonessentials like ... cow tails. He said so yesterday on Twitter and YouTube.

HSUS got upset over that.

Senator Florez got upset over that too.

Since California still does not have a budget, all Senate committee hearings have been canceled for today (see page 34 of the Senate Daily File). This includes CA AB241, AB242 and 243.

Yesterday the Assembly Agriculture Committee voted on Sen. Florez' SB135 - yes, the Cow Tail Bill. It passed 6 to 1 and now goes to ASM Appropriations.

** Changes: SB250, SB318 heard TODAY ... AB241, 242, 243 heard Thursday July 2nd **

SB 250
- status: still to be heard TODAY 6/30 Tuesday
- new Assembly Business and Professions Committee Analysis

Read it. Strangely, there's no mention at all of the Department of Finance Analysis from last week. Hmm....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*** Change: AB241, AB242, AB243 - all to be heard on Thursday July 2nd in SEN Public Safety Hearing

AB241
- Senate Public Safety Committee Analysis
- status

AB242
- Senate Public Safety Committee Analysis
- status

AB243
- Senate Public Safety Committee Analysis
- status

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SB318
- Assembly Public Safety Committee Analysis
- status: still to be heard TODAY 6/30 Tuesday

Buffalo

While pondering the implications of special interest groups like HSUS steamrolling over various legislatures, a word occurred to me: buffalo.

Think about it.

Buffalo used to roam the American plains by the millions - one herd in the mid-1800s was estimated to contain 12 million animals:

"Of all the quadrupeds that have lived upon the earth, no other species has ever numbered as many as the American bison. Even in South Central Africa, which has always had great herds of game, it is probable that all its quadrupeds taken together on an equal area would never have equaled the total number of buffalo on the plains of North America."

If one believes HSUS and other radical animal rights groups, modern dairy herds produce enough methane gas to change our planetary climate.

But consider: if this were true ... would not the dairy cow's cousin, which natives of the American Plains relied upon for so much, have caused great environmental turmoil and clouds of noxious gas? Would not the far greater numbers of Plains bovines have wrought horrific damage to air, land and water wherever they roamed?

Instead, almost impossibly massive buffalo herds provided the foundation for many Plains nations' survival. Their very existence enabled people to live and thrive, generation after generation.

If HSUS' statements were true ... how is it that people who lived through those times on the Plains remembered sweet air and climes, and an environment conducive to prosperity? A land well suited for producing both livestock and the grass it required to thrive? Suited for raising families and taking full, deep breaths on a summer's day?

HSUS and other radical animal rights groups actively seek to mislead our elected officials with half-truths and prevarication. They are trying to buffalo our leaders, to lead them down paths from which they - and we as a nation - cannot return.

Do not let them succeed. Think. Act. Do not let the buffalo - our agricultural system, our ability to interact freely with animals, our right to own pets and humanely, scientifically raise animals for humanity's benefit - disappear again.

California Bill Updates as of 12 am on 6/29/09

Note: all bills in red will be heard this week.

• 5 will be heard Tuesday (in three different committees), and
  
• 1 will be heard Wednesday.

SB762 is on the Governor's desk pending a signature. Please call, email and fax Governor Schwarzenegger and ask him to sign this law which protects a licensed veterinarian's right to care for his patients. Licensed chiropractors, licensed acupuncturists, and other practitioners of the healing arts also are protected by this law.

Be aware: I read somewhere that Sen. Florez performed a gut-and-amend to get his failed antibiotics bill tucked into one or two other unrelated bills last week. I don't remember the bill numbers, but when I do I'll let you know.

~~~~~~

CA AB1122 (Lieu; Coauthors: Eng and Jones)
- Animal abuse: sale of live animals

• Tuesday 07/07/2009 - SEN Public Safety Committee
• Last amended: 05/14/2009

CA SB 135 (Florez; coauthors Senators DeSaulnier and Hancock)
- Animal abuse: cattle: tail docking

• Wednesday 07/01/2009 - ASM Agriculture Committee
• Last amended: 06/25/2009

CA AB1437 (Huffman; Principal coauthors: Florez, Tom Berryhill)
- Shelled eggs: sale for human consumption: compliance ...

• Wednesday 07/08/2009 - SEN Health Committee
• Never amended - still as introduced 02/27/2009
  

CA SB250 (Florez)
- Dogs and cats: spaying and neutering

• Tuesday 06/30/2009 - ASM Business and Professions Committee
• Last amended: 05/28/2009
• Note: CA Dept of Finance Bill Analysis released last week: OPPOSES SB250
  

CA AB 241 (Nava; Coauthors: DeSaulnier, Florez, Strickland))
- Dogs and cats: breeding for sale

• Tuesday 06/30/2009 - SEN Public Safety Committee
• Last amended: 06/23/2009

CA AB242 (Nava; coauthor: Yamada) (Coauthors: Senators Cox, DeSaulnier, Florez, and Strickland)
- Dog fighting

• Tuesday 06/30/2009 - SEN Public Safety Committee
• Last amended: 06/01/2009

CA AB243 (Nava; coauthors: Ammiano, Lieu and Portantino) (Coauthors: Senators DeSaulnier and Florez)
- Animal abuse: penalties

• Tuesday 06/30/2009 - SEN Public Safety Committee
• Last amended: 06/22/2009

CA SB318 (Calderon)
- Dogfighting forfeitures

• Tuesday 6/30/09 - ASM Public Safety Committee
• Last amended: 05/28/2009

CA SB762 (Aanestad)
- Professions and vocations: healing arts

• In Senate. To enrollment - i.e., pending the Governor's signature

** Please call/fax/email the Governor today and ask him to sign this legislation allowing licensed veterinarians to continue providing ear crops, declaws, dewclaw removal, tail docking etc if their city/county allows this by Jan 1st, 2010.

~~~~~~

** This is another important one for the future with many implications for today: **
CA ACR74 (Portantino)
- Animal shelters: No Kill movement policies

• Referred to ASM Business and Professions Committee
• No hearing date set as of now