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  1. #1
    BPnet Veteran ColinWeaver's Avatar
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    HR2811. What now?

    HR2811 is going to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote. USARK said in a notice sent out yesterday that they will work with House members during the Congressional break (which starts on Friday and lasts until September) to word this bill to allow for interstate transport and captive breeding. I hope they are successful in that effort.

    If this bill passes a vote in the House, all is not lost. Its next stop will be the Senate. This provides a new opportunity to fight this. This is also a new opportunity for bad things to happen (new amendments adding the other 3 of the Big 5, for instance). We must be vigilant.

    If it passes a Senate vote it has to be signed by the President. I cannot imagine that he won't sign it if it makes it to his desk.

    So in the meantime, what do we do? This is something of a historic moment for all reptile owners. This is going to be the first time that EVERY House delegate is "on our list". This isn't a sub-committee hearing any more (like HR669 and HR2811 have been). That means that now, more than ever, your own House delegate needs to hear from you. Phone calls, faxes and letters are great but there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that will have a greater impact than you making a visit to the office (or offices) of YOUR delegate and talking with him/her and/or their Legislative Assistants. By the time this is all over, they should know you by name.

    If a constituent (that's you) takes the time to go into the office to intelligently discuss an issue, your delegate is going to hear you. Don't worry if you didn't vote for him/her or if you don't agree with their position on other issues. Right now, at this moment, that delegate is one out of 435 voices that control a portion of the reptile community's fate. Delegates care more about what their constituents think because those are the votes that keep them in office. That fact should never be treated as a weapon. It's just a truth that means your delegate is going to be interested in listening to you.

    If you live nowhere near DC then you need to find the local office for your delegate and go to see him/her. If you happen to live in a reasonable distance from DC you need to go to the Congressional offices (take the Metro to Capitol South) of your delegate AND your local offices. If you go into the office with a level head and a well thought out set of talking points it is guaranteed that your delegate will hear your voice. For now, I defer to USARK and/or PIJAC for talking points. A consistent message from the reptile community will serve all of us in the coming weeks.

    Visiting the office of your congressional representative is NOT an intimidating thing. Their offices, by design, are readily available to all Americans. Whether you go to DC or to a local office, call ahead and make an appointment. Ask to meet with your delegate in person but if he/she is not available ask to meet with a member of the office who is up to speed on HR2811.

    HR2811 seems to have broad support by Democrats with only a few Republicans being in favor of it. The amended version may be more evenly supported because it is not as offensive (to some people) as the original. Take some time to discover your delegate's position on the issue before going to see him/her. If they are in support of banning pythons then you need to go in with your A-game ready. A rational, well thought-out argument could help a delegate who is not on our side see things from another perspective.

    Regards,
    Last edited by ColinWeaver; 07-30-2009 at 11:20 AM.
    Colin Weaver
    East Coast Reptile Breeders
    http://www.ballpythonbreeder.com/
    Email: colin@ballpythonbreeder.com
    Phone: 757-572-1987 (Call or Text)


  2. The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to ColinWeaver For This Useful Post:

    nixer (07-30-2009),rabernet (07-30-2009),Royal Morphz (07-30-2009),Russ Lawson (07-30-2009),snakemastercanada (07-31-2009),zatoichi (07-30-2009)

  3. #2
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    Re: HR2811. What now?

    Now is the time to take a few minutes of of your day to make an appointment to visit your rep. and educate him/her on the issuses regarding reptiles. Make them aware of the economic impact that broad based bans with no science basis will not solve problems of the past like the everglades.
    Bans based on what happens in the glades are stupid as the problem in the glades will not be fixed by banning reptiles in the rest of the states as hr2811 would have done. Just how would banning pythons in Washington state help in anyway what's going on in Florida. Being that i am from Canada i find it interesting that these facts were not mentioned at all during the hearing.

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