Take Action Now!
Anyone (even those out of state) can and should contact the Senators and Representatives concerning the following two bills. For those who live in West Virginia and Ohio, this is especially important. Both bills were introduced in January 2008.
West Virginia SB 560
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Text_HTML/2008_SESSIONS/RS/Bills/sb560%20intr.htm
General Info: http://www.legis.state.wv.us/
Ohio HB 446 (section 957 focuses on feral cats)
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_446
General Info: http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/
If you do not reside in either state, write and/or call anyway. If bills such as these pass, your state could follow suit! Contact family and friends in those states. Ask local, state and national conservation organizations to get involved.
Your participation is critical to get the message across that public health must be the priority and native wildlife should not have to be further compromised by feral cat colony management programs.
For tips on what to say visit our Legislation Page. Click here.
WEST VIRGINIA
Status of the bill (enter the bill number and click submit):
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bill_status.cfm
This bill was assigned to Agriculture and then to Judiciary. Contact committee members. At the very least email the Chair and Vice Chair.
Agriculture Committee members:
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/committees/senate/SenateCommittee.cfm?Chart=agri
Chairman Edgell:
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/Members/senatorsinfo.cfm?input=Senator%20Edgell
Vice Chairman Love:
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/Members/senatorsinfo.cfm?input=Senator%20Love
Judiciary Committee members:
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/committees/senate/SenateCommittee.cfm?Chart=JUD
Chairman Kessler:
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/Members/senatorsinfo.cfm?input=Senator%20Kessler
Vice Chairman Oliverio:
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/Members/senatorsinfo.cfm?input=Senator%20Oliverio
In recent news:
http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/501831.html
Contact the Sponsor of SB 560 Senator Boley (find by name and click submit):
http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Senate1/members/senmemview.cfm
OHIO
Status of the bill:
http://lsc.state.oh.us/coderev/hou127.nsf/House+Bill+Number/0446?OpenDocument
The bill was assigned to the Local and Municipal Government and Urban Revitalization (LGR) committee. The link below lists all committee members. At the very least email the Chair, Vice Chair and Ranking Minority Member:
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/Committee.jsp?ID=21
Chairman Wolpert:
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/MemberDetails.jsp?DISTRICT=23
Vice Chairman Combs (see farther below - he is a co-sponsor).
Ranking Minority Member Representative Chandler:
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/MemberDetails.jsp?DISTRICT=68
This article first mentioned the upcoming bill:
In recent news:
http://www.10tv.com/?sec=news&story=sites/10tv/content/pool/200802/1785911903.html
Contact the Sponsor of HB 446 Representative Webster. He is a veterinarian:
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/MemberDetails.jsp?DISTRICT=53
There are five co-sponsors of HB 446.
Representative Evans:
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/MemberDetails.jsp?DISTRICT=87
Representative Setzer:
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/MemberDetails.jsp?DISTRICT=36
Representative Combs (Vice Chair of LGR):
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/MemberDetails.jsp?DISTRICT=54
Representative Skindell:
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/MemberDetails.jsp?DISTRICT=13
Representative Yuko (LGR committee member):
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/MemberDetails.jsp?DISTRICT=07
Make Your Voice Heard!