Updates From The Animal Council

[Rene Allegrini]

Preserving Our Right To Own And Breed Animals Is Your Responsibility
July 17, 2006

Appropriate forwarding encouraged

IN THIS ISSUE:
* CA LOCAL – SACRAMENTO, LODI, SAN JOSE, RIVERSIDE CTY, IMPERIAL BEACH
* CA LEGISLATURE RECESS – BILLS DIE, STALL, MOVE

THE ANIMAL COUNCIL'S web site at The Animal Council Home Page is
updated frequently supplementing advocacy information through these
Updates. The California bill tracking page includes links for
committee hearing audio. Current Legislative Material page has
additional details and materials on local and other significant
matters. Publications and Reference pages have resource material
useful to analyze, address and rebut detrimental proposals.
Additional materials are available for items below marked by an
asterisk.
*****

BRIEFLY NOTED

COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO will continue the high-fee differential dog/cat
license ordinance at the July 18 Board of Supervisors meeting but is
expected to act on a proposal for a towable trailer for sterilization
procedures.*

CITY OF LODI, SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA this month approved
increases of animal (dogs and cats) license and shelter fees.
License fee increases of $39 unaltered, up from $20, and $10 altered,
up from $6.00 are effective February 1, 2007.* Lodi is one of 7
cities in the county and has its own animal shelter.

CITY OF SAN JOSE, SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA*, also now with its
own shelter, has announced its 3rd Town Hall Meeting, July 27, 2006,
Thursday, 6:30-8:30 pm, at the Animal Care Center, 2750 Monterey Road
for the purpose of "discussing" (more) "recommended" changes to the
animal ordinance.

COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE* at the end of June finally released its Los
Angeles County copycat ordinances (mandatory microchip/mandatory
spay/neuter with restricted exemptions) and has now rescheduled 4
community meetings, 7/31, 7 pm, Murietta; 8/12, 10 am, Palm Desert;
8/16, 7 pm, Beaumont; 8/26, 10 am, Riverside City Hall.

HAIL, YE ANIMAL GUARDIANS IN IMPERIAL BEACH, CALIFORNIA* where the
City Council on July 5 passed a "guardian/owner" substitution
ordinance based on the definition, "Owner/guardian means any person,
other than a veterinarian or operator of a kennel, who owns, keeps,
or harbors an animal for at least fifteen (15)days. If an animal has
more than one owner/ guardian then all such persons jointly and
severally responsible for the duties imposed on an owner/guardian in
this Chapter." A second perfunctory passing vote is expected on July
19.
*****

THE CALIFORNIA STATE LEGISLATURE IS ON SUMMER RECESS UNTIL August 7
after recessing at the end of June when bills had to have passed the
house of origin unless they can obtain a rule waiver from the house
for a later vote.

CALIFORNIA AB 2146* by Assembly Member Joe Canciamilla (D-11) of
Pittsburgh with Republican co-authors, Tom Harmon and Bill Maze, and
sponsored by the California Waterfowl Association to codify law
covering the extent and workings of state preemption of hunting law
over local regulation had sailed through the Assembly with ease but
was withdrawn after running into significant opposition in the Senate
Committee On Natural Resources And Water chaired by Senator Sheila
Kuehl, an activist supporter.

CALIFORNIA SB 1806* by Senator Liz Figueroa, D-10 of Fremont, co-
author Assembly Member Lloyd Levine (D-40) of Van Nuys to create a
new Penal Code Section 597.7 covering animals in vehicles passed
Assembly Appropriations on June 28 by 14-1 (Democrat, Hector De La
Torre) and will be on the Assembly Floor in August. Confirming one
of our arguments against this bill – the misrepresentation that
animals cannot be left in vehicles under any circumstances --
Riverside County already has a home page item "Proposed California
State Bill To Prevent Animals From Being Left In Cars" and separate
dedicated page Riverside County Department of Animal Services While no would deny
the danger of hot vehicles, California has significant climatic
variations and circumstances of transport vary widely. Egregious
cases warrant prosecution under basic state cruelty laws rather than
the more limited penalty levels of this bill and trivial offenses
without harm do not warrant the higher costs and post-conviction
consequences of Penal Code 597. The latter properly fall under local
ordinances.

CALIFORNIA SENATE BILL 1578*, as last amended May 26, by Senator Alan
Lowenthal (D-27) of Long Beach and Assembly Member Paul Koretz (D-42)
of West Hollywood to create a new "wobbler" crime, chargeable as
either an infraction or misdemeanor, for dog tethering to anything
stationary beyond a "reasonable time" not to exceed 3 hours in a 24-
hour period while a person is doing a temporary task (other minor
exceptions) passed in the Assembly Committee on Business &
Professions on Tuesday, June 27 on a straight partisan vote, 6-3.
Testifying in support were David Diliberto, a familiar name from the
City of Los Angeles Department of Animal Services, and Dr. Barbara
Hodges from the Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR)
with the usual supporting lineup. Committee Member and co-author
Paul Koretz (D-42) of West Hollywood launched into a monologue about
the evils of tethering. Testifying in opposition were the California
Farm Bureau, still negotiating its interests, and the Governor's
Office of Planning and Research. We oppose SB 1578 as unjustifiably
overbroad and misrepresented as only about "chaining" rather than
making criminals of ordinary people doing ordinary things with
ordinary dogs. The Sacramento Bee will featured an article,
including our interview, on this bill on Monday, June 26.
Lifestyle/Scene - Danger on a chain - sacbee.com

CALIFORNIA AB 2862* by Assembly Member Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-48) of
Los Angeles entitled, "Sale of animals at retail animal outlets" and
sponsored by the Animal Protection Institute would create extensive
new law in the Health and Safety Code to regulate animals in pet
stores not as civil law regulating an industry but as criminal law.
It was heard by the Senate Committee on Business, Professions and
Economic Development on Monday, June 26. After a contentious hearing
attended by a large number of opposing bird fanciers and
representatives of the pet industry, Senator Dean Florez, D-16 of
Fresno, stated that he would not be able to vote on the bill as
presented, forcing the author to offer to continue working with
opponents to further amend the bill and to seek a rule waiver
allowing a vote in August. We oppose AB 2862.

Presenting her own final bill of her legislative career to Assembly
Committee on Business and Professions the following day, the termed-
out and third place finalist in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant
Governor Senator Liz Figueroa tearfully recounted chairing her last
regular Senate committee meeting and being impressed with the numbers
of bird fanciers attending the hearing on AB 2862. She asked that
legislators listen to citizens who make the effort to travel to the
capital to testify on matters of personal concern. As usual, the
sentiment appeared to fall on unhearing ears.
*****

*a service of THE ANIMAL COUNCIL
P.O. BOX 168, MILLBRAE CA 94030
Contact us at <TheAnimalCouncil@aol.com>
URL <http://www.theanimalcouncil.com>
Incorporated 1991, tax exempt under IRC Section 501(c)(4)
Online news updates published sporadically since 1997.
Legislative tracking subject to change. CA bill and law information
<http://www.leginfo.ca.gov>
Federal info at <THOMAS (Library of Congress)