(July 31, 2014) -- The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Hawaii state Sen. Clayton Hee, D-23, for election as Lieutenant Governor. Citing his support of animal protection policies as the chair of the Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee, the HSLF urges voters in Hawaii to support Hee in the August 9 primary election.
“During his time in the state legislature, Senator Hee has been a strong advocate for animal welfare,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the HSLF. “He believes in the values of kindness and compassion, and we urge voters who care about the humane treatment of animals to make Clayton Hee Hawaii’s next Lieutenant Governor.”
An effective and consistent leader on a wide variety of animal protection issues, Sen. Hee has sponsored or cosponsored legislation:
- prohibiting barbaric steel-jawed leghold traps and limits the use of snares and other body-crushing traps in residential areas; (SB 6)
- preventing a person convicted of felony animal cruelty from owning or possessing an animal for a minimum of five years; (SB 9)
- upgrading misdemeanor cruelty offenses involving 10 or more animals to a felony; (SB 978)
- allowing pet owners and landlords to negotiate a deposit to allow pets to reside in the premises; (SB 328)
- enhancing penalties for the intentional abuse of a law enforcement dog or horse; (SB 635)
- strengthening the anti-dogfighting statute to one of the strongest in the nation, with a felony for spectators attending dogfights; (SB 1069)
- making Hawaii the first state to prohibit the sale or possession of shark fins or fin soup; (SB 2169)
- extending protections to pets and farm animals who are often the victims in domestic violence cases involving abuse and threats of physical harm or death; (SB 2486)
- adding equines to the list of animals protected under the felony cruelty law; (SB 2895)
- making Hawaii the 43rd state to enact a felony cruelty provision for egregious acts of cruelty. (SB 1165)
Media Contact: Martin Montorfano, (202) 676-2347, mmontorfano@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.
