ALERT: S373 Python Ban Goes to Hearing

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S373 aka ‘The Python Ban’ will receive a Hearing before the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee Chaired by Barbara Boxer (D-CA) on December 3, 2009. The bill sponsor is Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL). If passed as written it would Ban all snakes in the family Pythonidae, placing them on the Injurious Wildlife List of the Lacey Act. That is ALL 40 species of pythons! This action would stop all import, export and interstate transport. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) took definitive steps yesterday toward lobbying Senator Nelson to add Boa Constrictor to the bill as well. HSUS has publicly called for an end of reptile ownership nationwide for years.

As we understand it right now there will be eight bills heard by the committee with only one witness to testify on all eight. USARK does not anticipate that there will be additional witnesses called. This seems to be an effort to move through as many bills as possible in as short a time as possible. We will know more soon.

USARK is opposed to legislating any animals on to the Injurious Wildlife List of the Lacey Act. This should be a science and policy driven debate. As it stands now the science is being “cherry picked” to support political expediency. Just yesterday an independent group of scientists called the USGS study being used by HSUS and others to justify a ban, “unscientific”.

As always USARK is providing the best, most timely information available on this issue to the Reptile Nation. We realize that these are scary times and we ask that everyone in the community come together to fight this battle. There is Strength in Numbers... Protect Your Rights. Join the Reptile Nation!

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Well this sucks! Is there anything else we can do, or is this just a "Lets hope for the best" scenario?

As USARK said, this is a very preliminary hearing. There is not much to do yet. I will be on the hill Tuesday & Wednesday all day asking Senators to support the centuries old American tradition of responsible pet ownership. Thursday, I will be attending the hearing and will update the www.nohr669.com blog with my observations.

If anyone from NJ, RI, CO, OR, ID, WY, or TN would be willing to write a short personalized letter to their Senator, sign it, and overnight it to me, I'd be happy to hand deliver it directly when I am in DC. Personalized letters like that have a huge impact and they help me get my foot in the door with staff that might normally be unwilling to talk to someone that doesn't live in their state. Shoot me a PM here at Bp.NET if you're interested in helping with a letter. I'd be happy to help you with the content and wording if you'd like.

Blessings,

-adam

There is no lets hope for the best scenario. That falls under the "we loose our hobby" scenario. We can still call, write, fax, and email the crap out of them