Since California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 2 in 2008, underscoring the widespread view of voters in all regions and demographics of the state that all animals deserve humane treatment, state lawmakers in Sacramento have advanced literally dozens of policy reforms to stop animal cruelty and abuse. HSLF has been charting the progress of these efforts to protect animals in California, and has just released our California Humane Scorecard for the 2013 state legislative session.
If you live in California, take a look. HSLF designs the scorecard as an easy way for constituents to assess how their lawmakers acted on animal protection issues. HSLF scored legislators based on their votes on six bills during the session: smoothing the pathway for more dog parks in local communities, restricting the sale of live animals at swap meets and flea markets, requiring the use of lead-free ammunition for hunting, improving trapping rules to protect wildlife and dogs, prohibiting bobcat trapping around Joshua Tree National Park and other protected areas, and authorizing the use of nonlethal procedures and partners to handle mountain lions in public safety situations. We are delighted that Gov. Jerry Brown signed all six bills into law.
Legislators, as a whole, performed very well on animal issues: Of the 118 members of the legislature who were scored, 59 received perfect 100 percent scores—indicating support for all six scored bills (16 members of the Senate and 43 members of the Assembly). Seven lawmakers—Assemblymembers Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, Roger Dickinson, D-Sacramento, Mike Gatto, D-Glendale, Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, Das Williams, D-Santa Barbara, and Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo,—received more than 100 percent, reflecting their support for all six bills, as well as primary authorship of the scored bills. The scorecard also notes that a bipartisan group of 26 legislators are members of California’s Animal Protection Caucus.
New to the scorecard this year is an indicator of lawmakers’ support of sign-on letters on key state and federal issues. This year three letters were sent, including one to congressional leaders expressing opposition to the dangerous “King amendment” to the Farm Bill, which could have undermined Prop 2 and other major animal welfare provisions in California and other states. Thirty-seven state legislators signed the letter to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy, and added to the loud chorus of opposition leading to the King amendment getting nixed from the final Farm Bill this week. Another sign-on letter joined by 30 lawmakers asked the federal government to back down on efforts to weaken, or worse, eliminate, California’s newly-enacted protections for sharks from the cruel and wasteful shark fin industry. And the third letter expressed legislative support for a pending state regulation to restrict the sale of harmful rodenticides that are a menace to wildlife and pets. Fourteen legislators supported that effort. The letters are not included in the scores, but constituents can see a broader perspective of their state legislators’ role in shaping animal welfare protections.
Things are just gearing up in Sacramento for the 2014 legislative session. We urge every Californian to take note of their lawmakers’ 2013 score, and give their office a quick call to offer a sincere thanks for humane leadership or a polite nudge to look for opportunities to cast a vote this year in support of humane policies. It’s an easy call to make, and one bound to make a huge difference.
