Legislation

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, July/August 1999:

U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg
and U.S. Representative Robert
Menendez, both Democrats from New
Jersey, on June 3 introduced the Safe Air
Travel for Animals Act, to strengthen the
right of persons sending animals by air to be
fully informed of the transport conditions,
and to double the penalty against airlines for
causing the injury, loss, or death of an animal
to $5,000, from the present $2,500.
The state legislatures of New
York and Illinois each recently approved
bills to create a felony penalty for especially
aggressive forms of cruelty to animals––and
New York governor George Pataki has
already signed the New York version into
law. The Illinois version additionally provides
that persons previously convicted of
aggravated cruelty shall be charged with a
felony for a repeated alleged offense.

The New York legislature a l s o
voted to ban hunts of captive animals on
properties of 10 acres or less, while the
Illinois legislature passed a bill allowing
students to opt out of classroom dissection.
The New York legislature also
passed A-1158, by assembly member
Alexander B. Grannis, which if signed by
Governor George Pataki would allow any
city in the state to outlaw poisoning pigeons.
The Fund for Animals asks that messages
of support for A-1158 be sent to Pataki c/o
Executive Chamber, State Capitol, Albany,
NY 12224; 518-474-8390; or >>gov.pataki@chamber.state.ny.us<<.
The Louisiana legislature rejected
three attempts to ban canned hunts,
introduced by state representatives M e l i n d a
S c h w e g m a n n and B.L. Shaw, with state
senator John Hainkel, but the Louisiana
senate did pass a nonbinding resolution condemning
canned hunts and asking “appropriate
government agencies to make recommendations
to support the abolition thereof,”
reports Pinckney Wood of the Coalition of
Louisiana Animal Advocates.
Both houses of the Oregon legisl
a t u r e have approved a bill enshrining as
law the present policy of the O r e g o n
Department of Fish and Wildlife that a
puma may be killed as a threat to public
safety if the puma shows little or no fear of
people; displays aggressive behavior toward
people; crouches, advances, or snarls at a
person; or is repeatedly seen during the day
near people. The bill was reportedly extensively
amended before passage, after having
originally been introduced as an attempt to
undo the 1994 Oregon ban on puma hunting
with use of bait and/or dogs. The ban was
adopted by referendum.