Nickolaus Sackett, Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, Jenny Keating, Caity Maple
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Chair Henry Stern hearing AB 273 today in the
Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Water
Final Vote Count
Yes Votes: Stern, Allen, Caballero, Hertzberg, Jackson, Monning
No Votes: Jones, Borgeas
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2019
CA SENATE COMMITTEE PASSES
WILDLIFE PROTECTION ACT OF 2019
AB 273 prohibits fur trapping, stopping wildlife torture
and eliminating the State’s trapping subsidy
Co-Sponsors: Social Compassion in Legislation & The Center for Biological Diversity
TUESDAY, JUNE 11, 2019 – SACRAMENTO
– AB 273, The Wildlife Protection Act of 2019, which would prohibit commercial fur trapping and the sale of those raw pelts, passed out of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water on a 6-2 vote.
Each year, hundreds of animals including gray foxes, coyotes, badgers, beavers and mink are trapped, tortured, and killed in California so that their pelts can be sold in foreign fur markets.
In 2017, it was reported that 1,568 animals were killed for their pelts statewide by 68 licensed commercial trappers. Of those, 1,241 were sold for profit. Based on average pelt prices, the total income generated was estimated at less than $9,000. State revenue generated from licensing through the Department of Fish and Wildlife totaled just over $15,500, not enough to cover the cost of a properly managed and enforced fur trapping program, resulting in a de facto subsidy for commercial fur trapping.
“While trapping is no longer a practical line of work, jobs related to wildlife watching for outdoor recreation have blossomed,” said
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego)
, author of AB 273. “This is a common-sense bill from the standpoint of wildlife, conservation and our state budget.
At this point, revenue generated by trapping licenses covers only a fraction of one warden’s salary. Meanwhile, millions of Californians are actively participating in wildlife watching, generating millions of dollars for California’s economy.”
AB 273 is co-sponsored by Social Compassion in Legislation and the Center for Biological Diversity.
“Fur trapping is a cruel, antiquated practice that is ecologically destructive,” said Judie Mancuso, Founder and CEO of Social Compassion in Legislation, co-sponsor of AB 273 and several other bills on animal rights and protection. “Small and mid-sized animals play a key role in maintaining biodiversity. We cannot continue the brutal killing of our wildlife, particularly given that continuing this practice will deplete local animal populations which are already under tremendous pressure from habitat loss due to development, poison, drought and wildfires.”
“No matter how you look at it, fur trapping is ecologically, economically and ethically bad policy” said
Jenny Keatinge, California Wildlife Policy Specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity
, co-sponsor of AB 273. “California should not be subsidizing destruction of our wildlife for the private profit of a few, especially when the majority of the public prefers seeing wildlife alive, not as commodities to be killed and skinned for foreign fur markets. This bill is a crucial step towards ending commercial exploitation of native species in favor of sound, science-based wildlife management that reflects the values of 21
st
Century Californians.”
AB 273 will now go to Senate Appropriations and then to the full Senate for a vote.
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Please Make Calls To Get Animals Out of Circuses!
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PLEASE MAKE YOUR CALLS & TWEETS
BEFORE 6/25!
SB 313 (Hueso) Circus Cruelty Prevention Act goes to Assembly Water, Parks & Wildlife for a vote on Tuesday, June 25th at 9am!
Please call your state Assemblymember and say
"Please Vote Yes on SB 313!"
Assembly Water Parks & Wildlife Committee Members
Gallagher, James
,
Vice Chair
(R)
916-319-2003
Bigelow, Frank
, Member (R) 916-319-2005
Choi, Steven
, Member (R) 916-319-2068
Kalra, Ash
, Member (D) 916-319-2027
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Please, Please, Please...
IF YOU HAVEN'T YET SIGNED UP TO SUPPORT OUR BILLS PLEASE DO NOW!
SCIL has 8 sponsored bills making their way through the second house, on their way to the Governor's desk to become law. We need support letters!
We have a
New Form on our Website
that will enable you to pick and choose, or select all our bills to support with a few easy clicks. This way, we do not have to email you every time for your support letters.
PLEASE NOTE:
If you are a group, local government, or organization, we still need your support letter on your letterhead and sent to:
info@socialcompassion.org.
Thank you!
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Thank you for making the calls and signing up for our support letters. In order to get legislation successfully passed requires many components:
- Daily animal advocacy work on the ground in Sacramento.
- Making sure we all vote for animal-friendly legislators.
- Your grassroots support when we call you to action.
- Public Relations, Social Media, and other Web presence.
- Donations to keep it all going. This work is extremely expensive.
Together we are changing the world in animal welfare, protection, and rights. Please make a donation today to help us keep going. We are only half way through the legislative process for 2019.
Gratefully yours, Judie
Judie Mancuso
Founder/CEO/President
Social Compassion in Legislation
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Social Compassion in Legislation
info@socialcompassioninlegislation.org
www.socialcompassioninlegislation.org
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