Arizona animal legislation results for 2011
Thursday, April 21st, 2011
Ice says, "Life is good." by Glenda Taylor
The Arizona Legislature adjourned early this morning. Here is a brief recap of animal legislation. The info is provided (except for blogger’s notes) in an email from the Humane Society of the United States, Arizona update.
Bill Number/Issue: HB2137 – Dogs; cats; sterilization
This bill allows dogs and cats released by shelters to be sterilized by non-surgical sterilization, should the technology become available. Good “aggressive dogs” bill was added to HB2137 as a committee amendment.
Status: Passed House & Senate – will become law unless Gov vetoes (which is unlikely)
Read more about the bill.
Bill Number/Issue: SCR1057 – AZ spaying and neutering fund
Bill to simply express the Arizona State Legislature’s support for the promotion of the existing Arizona Spaying and Neutering of Animals Fund.
Status: Passed
Read more about the bill
Bill Number/Issue: 2536 – Dog tracks; live racing exception
Would have helped end dog racing in Arizona by freeing the dog track owners from the legal requirement to offer live racing each year. Passed full House 42 to 15 but did not get heard in Senate committee.
Status: Died
Read more about the bill
(Blogger’s note: Of course this is devastating to anti racing advocates especially since Tucson Greyhound Park was pushing for this bill to pass. For once in my life, TGP and I were on the same side of the fence. Thank you to members of the House who voted YES for HB 2536.
Bill Number/Issue: HB2539 – Public sale of animals
Would have extended the existing ban on the public sale of animals on streets and highways to the full state. (The current law only bans such sales in Maricopa and Pima Counties.) Passed full House 40 to 17. Was not heard in Senate committee, but was offered as an amendment to HB2137 on the Senate floor and was voted down 15-5.
Status: Died
Read more about the bill
(Blogger’s note: Rep. Frank Pratt sponsored the bill. The Animal Defense League of Arizona posts interesting commentary how one Senator with an abysmal animal welfare voting record brought this bill down.)
Bill Number/Issue: SB1517 – Animal abuse; reporting
Included several good provisions regarding animal abuse. Passed Senate committee by a vote of 5 to 1. An amendment added on the Senate floor changed the bill to the point where the AZ HSUS could not support it. It was then used as a “strike everything” for another issue.
Status: (the original version) Died
(Blogger’s note: How can we get animal abuse reporting passed when in this session domestic abuse loomed large for both a Phoenix Republic and a Tucson Democrat?)
There were lots of bad bills – some died and some passed. Here are just a couple of items of interest:
Bill Number/Issue: HCM2002 – remove gray wolf; endangered species
Memorial to Congress asking for the removal of protections for endangered wolves under the Endangered Species Act.
Status: Passed
Read more about the bill here
Bills negatively impacting the initiative process
The HSUS supports the use of issue-based initiatives after other means of effective reform have been exhausted. The initiative process is designed to allow voters to consider issues in a democratic fashion and this process should not be weakened.
Status: Died
(Blogger’s note: Thank DOG! The initiative process in Missouri has been bastardized as legislators repeal a voter initiative law to put restraints on backyard breeders and puppy mills.)
Here’s the original post regarding animal legislation.
(Photo by Glenda Taylor: Ice has been my faithful, loving companion since 2000. His previous owners would not allow him in the home and, when they moved to Florida , they returned him to the breeder. Lucky Ice, now he gets to sleep on the bed with me.)
