Tag Archives: state laws against bsl

Connecticut HB6311 to prevent breed discrimination advances to full house

Posted on April 23, 2013 by | Comments Off on Connecticut HB6311 to prevent breed discrimination advances to full house

In February, Connecticut state legislators introduced a bill that would prohibit municipalities from enacting breed discriminatory laws.

This bill came back from the fiscal analysis with a report that there will be no fiscal impact with this bill.  This means that enacting this bill will not create any financial burden for the state or any local municipalities. This is not uncommon as breed neutral dangerous dog laws are financially far more benign that breed discriminatory ones, and bills of this nature do not mandate any changes for every municipality, but rather create a prohibition against unjust laws.

After a unanimously favorable committee report the bill was officially referred to the full House where it will be voted on. Should this bill be passed in the House it would move to the Senate for a repeat of the same process.

Connecticut residents:Please continue to reach out to your representatives and politely ask them to support this bill. It is important that when these bills move forward to the next step support is shown for them so legislators have that fresh in their minds when the bill is heard.

You can find your specific representatives on the states website.

Previous alert for HB6311

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New bill filed to allow BSL in Massachusetts

Posted on February 19, 2013 by | 9 comments

A little while ago we received word about SD (Senate Docket) 1247 that would create an exemption from the new state law the prohibits breed specific legislation.

This bill has been renamed and has been sent to the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government. SB 969 is the same as SD 1247.  The wording is identical, in that it will insert an exemption into the new comprehensive animal control law that would allow a municipality to prove through municipal bite statistics that they should be allowed to enact a breed specific law.

Massachusetts Residents:  Swift action is needed.  Reach out to your legislators and the members of the committee and ask them to opposed this bill.  Committee members can be found here. Specific legislators can be found on the government website, or if you are uncomfortable composing your own correspondence Best Friends Animal Society has created an alert form here.

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Action Alert for New Mexico Residents

Posted on February 1, 2013 by | 1 comment

We received word from Melissa Roberts Schlough that HB63, a bill to prohibit breed specific legislation on the state level, has passed it’s first step with a unanimous vote and is moving on to the Judiciary Committee.  Though a date has not been set yet this could be called up at any time.

New Mexico Residents: It is important to contact the members of the judiciary committee and let them know that their constituents support HB63. Your continued support is needed to see HB63 become law in New Mexico!  Please contact your representatives , and as always be the best advocate possible for the dogs by being factual and polite.

For more information on HB63 and to track the bills progress see our previous post here.

The bills sponsor Yvette Herrel will be on Pit Bulletin Legal News Radio to talk about the bill on February 5th at 8PM EST.

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Posted in New Mexico, State Specific

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Oklahoma Senator drops bill to allow breed specific legislation

Posted on January 27, 2013 by | Comments Off on Oklahoma Senator drops bill to allow breed specific legislation

On January 23rd Fox 23 out of Oklahoma reported that state Senator Patrick Anderson was abandoning an emergency bill that he proposed to allow breed specific legislation on the state level.

Immediate public pressure has been cited as one possible reason the bill was dropped. Fox 23 stated

“One possible reason the bill was abandoned, an outpouring of backlash against it. People against the passage of this bill started a petition that got thousands of signatures from people who opposed the possible law.”

Senator Anderson has also been quoted saying “We’re not going to move forward on it,…There’s just too much opposition to it.”

When the bill was proposed Best Friends Animal Society issued an alert that 900 Oklahoma residents responded to. In addition a petition garnered 9,000 thousand signatures.

At this time Senator Anderson has said he will not pursue this issue.

Congratulations to Oklahoma residents for standing up for equal rights for all dog owners! This is the perfect example of how the voice of the people can make an immediate and profound impact.

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Best Friends alert for New Mexico

Posted on January 20, 2013 by | 1 comment

A bill has been introduced by State Representative Yvette Herrel that would prohibit breed specific legislation in the state of New Mexico. House Bill 63 would create a state law prohibiting any municipalities, including those that are home rule, from enacting breed specific legislation.  HB63 was introduced on January 11, 2013 and has been assigned to the House Health, Government and Indian Affairs Committee.

This bill needs our support.

NEW MEXICO RESIDENTS, please reach out to your respective state legislators and ask them to support HB63.  Let them know that laws that target dogs based on their appearance rather than their behavior creates communities that are more vulnerable to dangerous dogs, not less.  The passage of HB 63 would mean cities and counties, in drafting animal control ordinances, would have to tackle the root cause of dangerous dogs, irresponsible and reckless dog owners, rather than pass a blanket law that regulates all members of specific breeds.

You can find your representatives here or use the simple contact form Best Friends has set up.

Please also send a note to Representative Herrell to thank her for introducing this common sense bill that would prohibit the passage of breed discriminatory ordinances in the state of New Mexico.

Representative Yvette Herrell
P.O. Box 4338
Alamogordo, NM 88311
yherrell@yahoo.com

HB63 can be tracked here.

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Posted in New Mexico, State Specific

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