Yesterday, March 22, the Senate Law & Justice Committee passed House Bill 1234. HB 1234 was sent to the Rules Committee where it will then be sent to the Senate floor for further consideration. We will inform you when HB 1234 is scheduled for a hearing before the full House. In the meantime, use our Take Action button to email your state Senator urging them to OPPOSE HB 1234. Innocent until proven guilty is a cornerstone of the American justice system and HB 1234 is an affront to this basic protection.
As reported, HB 1234 requires an accused pet owner to fund 30 days of the cost of care for any animal seized and to continue posting additional bonds until the charges have been adjudicated. Failure to pay the cost of care, before proven guilty, would result in the forfeiture of the animal. And even if the charges are dropped or if the accused is found not guilty, a person might get a refund of their cost of care money and they might have the animal returned.
Put another way, you can be perfectly innocent of the animal welfare charges, but your money and animal are no longer yours to keep. This is beyond absurd and is setting up a system where the animal-extremists can harass and intimidate perfectly innocent citizens with the state’s full blessing.
Don’t forget to share this message with your family, friends and fellow sportsmen and ask them to urge their state Senator to OPPOSE HB 1234.
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.
