Tomorrow, April 4, at 1 p.m., virtual or in room A-2, the Joint Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hear bills of serious concern to sportsmen.
First, pro-sportsmen bills, Senate Bill 1072 and House Bill 1829 provide important updates to the existing hunter harassment law by including, among other things, verbal and physical threats and the use of drones or other mechanical devices to harass hunters in the field. More importantly, the bill spells out punishments for harassing activities, including up to 5 years in jail for harassment that results in bodily injury. Hunter-harassment protection is important to the Sportsmen’s Alliance as we helped draft the original hunter-harassment language that is used throughout the United States today.
The exact opposite is an “animal cruelty” measure, Senate Bill 1056. The mistreatment of animals is a serious subject and the Sportsmen’s Alliance does not tolerate animal cruelty. Unfortunately, animal-rights extremists use the “animal cruelty” tag with everything, including when hunters and other sportsmen use dogs for hunting, trialing and training. One of their favorite attacks is to suggest that tethering a dog, for any and all reasons, is animal cruelty. This is just plain nonsense, but again, all under the guise of preventing “animal cruelty.” Don’t fall for their bait-and-switch tactics, they want to end all hunting with dogs and will use every trick at their disposal.
S.1056 does not stop there as it would prohibit the use of an outdoor kennel for longer than 5 hours or from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. S.1056 fails to acknowledge that canines are equipped for a wide variety of temperatures and conditions. Many working dogs, such as police K-9s, property guard dogs and hunting dogs, are safely housed in outdoor kennels. S.1056 is more animal-rights “feel-good” fundraising propaganda and not about what is good for dogs.
Please use our Take Action button to email the committee urging them to SUPPORT S.1072/H.1829 and OPPOSE H.1829.
Don’t forget to share this alert with your family, friends and fellow sportsmen and urge them to also email the committee to take action.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.