New Mexico: More on state senator’s breed-specific proposal

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Fred M. Kray | Comments Off

New Mexico Senator Sue Beffort’s as-yet unfiled proposal to restrict mixed-breed “pit bulls” has created quite a stir in the news media, among animal advocates, and in the general public. Many people are now asking how they can take action against this proposal, even at these early stages when there’s not really an official document to oppose.

1. Beffort’s proposal must receive permission from the governor to even be considered during the short 2012 legislative session. You can contact New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez and ask her not to “call” Beffort’s proposal/bill.
Phone: 505-476-2200
Contact form: http://www.governor.state.nm.us/Contact_the_Governor.aspx
There is also an online petition to the governor here: http://www.change.org/petitions/new-mexico-governor-susana-martinez-do-not-add-sen-befforts-draft-bsl-bill-to-jan-2012-call-list
We recommend that if you want to sign the online petition, do so in addition to contacting the governor’s office directly.

2. Contact your individual New Mexico state senator and express your opposition to breed-discriminatory laws. Make sure your own state senator understands who his or her constituents are, and what they stand for. Keep your statement of opposition broad; don’t limit it to Beffort’s proposal specifically. (Also, keep it short and simple.) Find your state senator here: http://www.nmlegis.gov/lcs/leg.aspx?T=S

3. You may contact Senator Beffort and make an attempt to educate her, to correct her misconceptions, or to show her how her proposal discriminates against people (including victims of dangerous dogs). Please remain respectful in your correspondence; angry and disrespectful correspondence only reinforces a negative perception of so-called “pit bull people.” Keep your correspondence brief–one or two of your best points at the most. (Don’t worry, someone else will cover the points you don’t make.)
Senator Sue Wilson Beffort
Capitol Phone: (505) 986-4395
E-mail: sue.beffort@nmlegis.gov

4. Join a local group. Many New Mexico animal organizations oppose breed-specific legislation, and they are doubtless preparing to fight this proposal, just as they have fought previous years’ attempts to introduce BSL in the state. Even better, some local groups attempt to directly address the community “dog problems” that are the source of breed-specific proposals like Beffort’s. Join up with a local group and get involved.

Keep in mind that this proposal has NOT been filed yet. If the bill is actually filed, it will likely go to a Senate committee. At that time, we will provide more information about who to contact. Please don’t write the entire Senate just yet.

All alerts for New Mexico: http://stopbsl.com/?s=new+mexico