Humane PA

Following a single bill through the legislative process  in Pennsylvania can be confusing to say the least;  but to have two identical bills move through both the House and Senate at the same time, and then be taken on and off the voting calendar, can make even a PA political geek’s head spin.  Fortunately we have a few political geeks here at Humane PA and we’re going to try to break down the process as best we can.  We have also included a link at the end so you can get the facts about how both of these bills will impact not only animals but also our environment.  Ready?  Okay, here goes, so pay close attention.

SB 644 is the Senate Bill.  It has passed the full senate, first consideration in the House and then was re-committed to House Game and Fisheries Committee where it is expected to be amended and if passed will be voted by the PA House of Representatives. Therefore, you need to contact your state representative to ask them to OPPOSE SB 644.  If it passes without amendment, it will go straight to the Governor and become law.  If amended, it goes back to the Senate  to be voted on concurrence and then on to the Governor.

HB 723 is the House Bill.  On April 9,  HB 723 passed the full PA House 101-100, so it goes to the Senate Game and Fish Committee.  Once it passes the committee, it goes to the full PA Senate for a vote. Please contact your state senator to ask them to OPPOSE HB 723.

This bill as is being fast-tracked and is in response to the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) proposing regulations to eliminate the importation and ownership of wild boars in canned hunts.  The PGC proposal will aid in the reduction of future destruction of the habitat by feral hogs that escape too frequently from these hunting operations. SB 644 and companion House Bill, HB 723 will take jurisdiction (over wild boars when held in captivity) away from the PGC,  which will then prevent the PGC from shutting down these risky canned hunting operations.  Canned hunts are the number one source of escaped wild hogs that ravage our wild habitat!  Please take a look here for more facts about the bills: Fact sheet: HB 723 and SB 644 to Deregulate Feral Pig Captive Hunts

We at Humane PA thank you all so much for your vigilance and willingness to help, especially when a bill is this confusing. PA legislators are commenting more and more on how well we are staying on top of this bill.  It is a real testament to the dedication of the animal vote that our desire to help animals motivates us to navigate our way through the confusing legislative process in PA!

Learn more about the Path from Idea to Bill to Law in Pennsylvania

New York Times: When One Man’s Game Is Also a Marauding Pest

Blog by Humane PA President - Elissa Katz   
When we think about animal protection, welfare and rights, and the best way to help animals, our minds often immediately focus on rescue, foster, spay/neuter, humane education and other direct actions that have a sense of urgency and can yield tangible results. Such activities are so critical. The sheer numbers of animals in need can be overwhelming and exhausting. It feels good to look at the faces of the ones who have been saved and spared a tragic fate. And, there are few better feelings than matching the perfect adopter with an animal in need.
When we think about helping animals, rarely do many of us think in political terms. Yet, to be a well rounded, effective movement and to help as many animals as possible, those of us who care about animals must be players in the political field. We must be a strong political force, insisting upon the passage of laws that will protect animals and prohibit cruelty. Without anti-cruelty laws, we will always be struggling against the tide. Those who oppose reform and protection of animals understand this, and they have worked for years and years to establish a unified front and strong political presence in Harrisburg. They know and are known by the legislators and political parties. Until fairly recently, the “animal” voice in the political arena has been the missing link in our arsenal of anti-cruelty tools, and it is time for us to catch up.
There is no doubt that the political process is fraught with frustration. Promises are made – and broken. Legislation is introduced, and sits, and sometimes dies in committee. Bills that could be so helpful to reducing cruelty to animals are not given the votes they deserve. It can take a long time, sometimes a seemingly ridiculously long time, for even a popular bill to make its way through the process and to be enacted into law. But these frustrations cannot serve as a basis for us to be outsiders to the process and ignore the good that can arise from political strength. The reality is that we need better and more laws to protect animals and that if we don’t jump right into the thick of it and become a stronger political force, we won’t get what the animals need. The animals we seek to help can’t participate in the process, but we can, and must, on their behalf.
While Humane PA is relatively young in the life of politics, if we take a step back, we can see that progress has been made. In our 6 years of existence, we have grown from a handful of voting constituents to over 24,000. In the last election cycle, numerous candidates contacted us, completing our questionnaire and seeking our endorsement. We were able to support candidates who support humane legislation. And while not every candidate we supported was elected to office, many were. Humane PA activists were out in the trenches, distributing campaign literature, door knocking, working polls, contributing, and otherwise supporting humane candidates. Humane PA representatives and coordinators are attending town halls, political events and meeting with their legislators, and are making a difference for animals.
The opening months of the 2013-2014 legislative session has seen the introduction of a record number of bills to protect and improve animal welfare including, but not limited to, anti-tethering, banning the use of live animals for target shooting competitions, prohibiting the possession of animal fighting paraphernalia, increasing penalties for violations of animal cruelty laws, addressing the cost of care of seized animals, and banning the sale of shark fins. And, while it is exciting to note the wide range of animal related bills introduced so far, we need to pull out all the stops to make sure that these bills move, receive votes, pass, and are enacted into law. We need to be a strong and ever-present voice in Harrisburg reminding our elected officials that we expect them to support and work for the passage of these and other bills concerning the humane treatment of animals, and that our vote is contingent on such.
At Humane PA, we believe that a strong political presence can no longer be the “missing link” in the arsenal of tools we employ to battle cruelty and to achieve the humane treatment of animals. We must collectively insist upon more and better laws, continually chipping away at cruelty. Political commitment and involvement must be elevated to equal ground with all of our other anti-cruelty activities so that we can effectuate broad based positive change for animals. Given our progress to date, there is good reason to hope for better for animals – it is clear that while change may not be as fast as we might like, it is coming. Please join us at Humane PA to make it happen.

Elissa B. Katz is the President of Humane PA and a partner in the law firm of Meranze, Katz, Gaudioso & Newlin, P.C. in Philadelphia. She is a regular volunteer with the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), assisting with cat care and adoption applications at an adoption site.  She is also a board member of The Humane League.