WASHINGTON (Jan. 9, 2012) -- The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announced its endorsement of Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, in the Democratic primary for California’s newly created Second Congressional District. Citing his leadership and support of animal protection policies in the California legislature, the Humane Society Legislative Fund urges primary voters to support Huffman for the open congressional seat.
“Jared Huffman has been an active champion for sensible animal welfare policies in California, and has been leading many of the critical fights to protect pets, wildlife, and farm animals,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “We urge California primary voters who care about humane issues to support Jared Huffman for Congress.”
Huffman has been a champion and strong supporter for animal protection in the California State Assembly. During his terms, he:
- Co-authored legislation signed into law in 2011, which bans the cruel trade in shark fins. Finning is an abhorrent practice that involves slicing off the fins of a shark and discarding the animal at sea to drown or bleed to death, and has led to declines by as much as 90 percent in some shark populations during recent decades.
- Authored legislation signed into law in 2010, working with animal welfare groups and the California egg industry, requiring that all eggs sold in California comply with modest animal welfare and food safety standards consistent with Prop 2, a ballot measure overwhelmingly approved by statewide voters.
- Authored legislation to increase penalties for poaching California’s wildlife.
- Authored legislation to address animal welfare concerns associated with genetically modified organisms.
- Voted to require microchipping dogs and cats when adopted from or reclaimed by animal control.
- Voted to increase penalties for roadside sales of animals in parking lots, carnivals or on streets and highways.
- Voted to increase penalties for attending a dogfight.
- Voted to prohibit the painful and unnecessary practice of cutting the tails off cows.
- Voted to allow property forfeiture of anyone found guilty of violating dogfighting laws with proceeds going to animal and law enforcement agencies.
- Voted to allow the City of San Diego to designate Casa Beach as a marine mammal sanctuary to protect seals and their habitat.
- Scored consistently high on the HSLF Humane Scorecard for the California legislature.
Media contacts: Pepper Van Tassell, (240) 751-0232, pvantassell@hslf.org
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HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue.
The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at animalsandpolitics.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.
Paid for by Humane Society Legislative Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. HSLF, 1255 23rd Street, NW, Suite 455, Washington, DC 20037.
