Where is the "Reptile Nation"?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nixer

i understand the point and i due so continually in my very own, but when your know there is a hearing scheduled then you have to ramp up the effort swiftly especially at the time. to post about a bill introduced is fine but you have to keep up and post updates! we all have alot more on our plate than just a few bills in a few states. i check IN, ILL, MI, also federal all the time, but many dont know how or where to check for bills.

i did email them about this bill. i called all of the list in FL when that was in the works multiple times on every bill that was questionable. i think i have seen my state reps 7 or 8 times this year alone just to chat and keep them updated about certain bills. that isnt including phone calls and emails i have done over the years

---

And that's awesome - and that's what we need! :gj:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nixer

perhaps he did, but a few posts about it is not going to get anything even done.

especially when you want ppl to email or call one rep. last time i checked there is more than a hand full of state reps! even so most contacts outside of said state are just trash canned.

---

Of course a few posts aren't going to accomplish anything.

If people had followed the links I provided, all of the members on the committee could be seen..........I guess that was to much finger work - huh?

You know what, all I ever asked is that people become educated and involved. From the links I provided, it's fairly intuitive and easy to get to a point where someone with a modicum of intelligence could find a list of committee members.

If USARK and PIJAC didn't send out alerts, where the heck would we be? I cannot believe that it's become someone else's responsibility to hand feed important information to us. Baaaaaaaaaaaaah.

How about we take responsibility for our actions? If you didn't know about the vote and you live in California it's because you are uninvolved and apathetic. The fact that Theresa, Robin and people in other states stepped up and tried to make a difference is great, but in the end it was the people in California that didn't take a stand and get involved.

I have access to two State Legislators and have talked to them about AB 1122 over the last 5 months. They had heard nothing from their constituents on this. Worse, when I took my kids to the San Jose and Sacramento Reptile shows, there was no talk about it, most of the vendor's had no idea it even existed.

Remember what happened in Connecticut? That should scare the Holy Crap out of us.....a Bill out of the national limelight gets "snuck" by and caught everyone unaware.

The fact is these things aren't "snuck by" anybody. Take 10 minutes a week to peruse your State Legislature sites and see what's there. Get involved, make a difference and stop expecting other people to fight your freaking battles for you.

If you didn't know you weren't paying attention. Period.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BrucenBruce

I did send a message to one of your congresswomen when USArk first posted about this issue - I hoped then that it did some good, and still hope it was heard. (I'm still getting her updates on local CA politics periodically, even though I'm in CT!)

It sounds to me as though the cat/dog/bird exemption is based on those shows being competitive, judged events, such as an AKC club show, where some sales may take place on the side. To date, I've yet to see a herp show posted that was run as a judged competition - reptile expos are nearly pure sales / swap meets, (some include seminars, but the local one here sure doesn't) where the only judging result is whose pockets have the most dollars in 'em at the end of the day, and who goes home with the emptiest displays. The exemption you posted wouldn't apply to reptile expos as they're currently run, the way I read it.

Still - I do hope that your Governator realizes that the State of California has much bigger fish to fry, and promptly vetoes anything that would keep dollars out of his state, or keep dollars within his state from changing hands. (After all, those times when dollars change hands are his best opportunities to skim some off the top . . . )

~Bruce

---

The fact is that an animal rights group, with a savvy team of lawyers could argue that Reptile Shows, since they aren't judged events, won't get granted exemption under AB 1122.

A little hint here - forget about the animal rights activists for a second, there are people in this hobby who do not like reptile shows because they feel that the transportation to and displaying of these animals is stressful.

You don't even want to know what the HSUS fanbois think..............

So I would expect that reptile expos, bazaars, etc. will be firmly in the cross hairs if this passes.

The danger in this legislation is the way it's written. The majority of the exemptions are for livestock sales, shelters and animal judging events.

So the Bill outlines what is banned and what is allowed but there is a whole big grey area in between. That grey area is what will then be contested and refined if this thing passes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Skiploder

The fact is that an animal rights group, with a savvy team of lawyers could argue that Reptile Shows, since they aren't judged events, won't get granted exemption under AB 1122.

A little hint here - forget about the animal rights activists for a second, there are people in this hobby who do not like reptile shows because they feel that the transportation to and displaying of these animals is stressful.

You don't even want to know what the HSUS fanbois think..............

So I would expect that reptile expos, bazaars, etc. will be firmly in the cross hairs if this passes.

The danger in this legislation is the way it's written. The majority of the exemptions are for livestock sales, shelters and animal judging events.

So the Bill outlines what is banned and what is allowed but there is a whole big grey area in between. That grey area is what will then be contested and refined if this thing passes.

---

perhaps they could be judged events.

transporting and displaying isnt stressful? how many ppl at shows really water their animals over a 2 days show? just tinley alone there is one lonely guy with milks/corns that actually has little water bowls in every deli cup on the table. grey areas work both way when it comes to twisting of laws to match the current situation in question.