Unfortunately, House Bill 1234 made it through crossover and is scheduled for a public hearing at 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 9, in SHR 4 of the J.A. Cherberg Building in the Senate Law & Justice Committee.
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.
The original bill did not provide for a refund of these dollars if the charges are dropped or if the accused is found not guilty. The bill was amended, however, to state a person “may” get a refund when not found guilty and “may” 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.
As we previously reported, Washington citizens, who currently believe that they are innocent until proven guilty, would find they are subject to these cost of care charges because the bill declares that charging a person fees or fines for violations does not violate Constitutional protections that have existed since 1789.
The bill reads: “The legislature finds and declares that: (1) The use of preconviction civil remedies is not an affront to the presumption of innocence…”
Please use our take action button to email the committee 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.
Don’t forget to share this message with your family, friends, and fellow sportsmen asking them to email the committee urging them to OPPOSE HB 1234.
If you have not seen it already, make sure you check out our latest action in Washington state: Sportsmen’s Alliance Files Suit Against Washington Wildlife Commissioner Lorna Smith
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.
