Alert 1/29/09
Another Chance for the Humane Investigator Bill
On Monday, 2/2/09, the House Ag Subcommittee (chaired by Del. Bobby Orrock) will hear the humane investigator bill (HB2669 - House Bill 2669).
Del. James Scott, the man who carried the VVAW bills to end gas chambers, is the patron of HB2669 (House Bill 2669), the bill which allows new appointments to the humane investigator program!
This bill can be passed! Your help is urgently needed.
You know the reasons the humane investigator bill needs to be passed. Humane investigators - HIs - are volunteer, free, trained people to advocate on behalf of the animals, and to extend the reach of the current animal control officers. Yes, they are volunteers, trained, and free. This program is permissive; jurisdictions may have humane investigators. More and more animals need help because of the dire financial situation which will lead to possible reductions in animal control programs (witness Spotsylvania County). Not passing this bill would be immoral.
Here's what you can do:
1. Come to Richmond to help. Come and testify or at least appear in support of the bill. The bill will be heard on Monday, 2/2/09, at 5 pm in the General Assembly Building on 7th Floor West.
2. Contact your delegate and tell them to support HB2669, and tell them to contact their colleagues on the Orrock subcommittee and the full House Ag Committee, to encourage their support for HB2669.
You should also ask every delegate - your delegate or delegates on the committee - to become a co-patron of HB2669.
3. Contact your sheriff, Commonwealth's Attorney, and General District Court judge(s) and ask them to sign a letter you prepare, or forward an email you've sent to them, to the Orrock subcommittee and the full committee. Or simply ask them to contact the committees with "support HB2669" as the subject for the email.
4. Once HB2669 passes the House Ag Subcommittee on Monday, 2/2/09, the bill will next be heard at 8:30 am on Wednesday, 2/4/09, in House Room C (General Assembly Building) by the full House Ag Committee under Del. Harvey Morgan. More about that later, but please save the time and make arrangements to come to Richmond then.
Below is contact information for those on the House Ag Committee who need to be reached to support HB2669. Those with stars in front of their names are members of Del. Orrock's House Ag Subcommittee; they are delegates Bobby Orrock, Ed Scott, Danny Marshall, Matt Lohr, Charles Poindexter, Jim Shuler, Lynwood Lewis, and Robert Mathieson.
Thank you very much.
Lillian Clancy and Don Marro
Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare
House Ag Committee (1/2009):
Richmond # district office #
Harvey Morgan, Chairman DelHMorgan@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc:804-698-1098
District ofc: 804-693-4750
Kirk Cox DelKCox@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1066
District ofc: 804-526-5135
Beverly Sherwood DelBSherwood@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1029
District ofc: 804-667-8947
Lee Ware DelLWare@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1065
District ofc: 804-598-6696
Tommy Wright DelTWright@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1061
District ofc: 434-696-3061
*Bobby Orrock DelBOrrock@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1054
District ofc: 540-891-1322
Christopher Saxman DelCSaxman@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1020
District ofc: 540-886-8284
Clarke Hogan DelCHogan@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1060
District ofc: 434-575-0000
*Edward Scott DelEScott@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1030
District ofc: 540-825-6400
*Danny Marshall DelDMarshall@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1014
District ofc: 434-797-5861
*Matthew Lohr DelMLohr@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1026
District ofc: 540-437-1450
*Charles Poindexter DelCPoindexter@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1009
District ofc: 540-576-2600
Brenda Pogge DelBPogge@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1096
District ofc: 757-223-9690
Kenneth Plum DelKPlum@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1036
District ofc: 703-758-9733
*James Shuler DelJShuler@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1012
District ofc: 540-953-1103
Albert Eisenberg DelAEisenberg@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1047
District ofc: 703-228-7909
Stephen Shannon DelSShannon@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1035
District ofc: 703-281-5200
*Lynwood Lewis DelLLewis@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1000
District ofc: 757-787-1094
David Bulova DelDBulova@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1037
District ofc: 703-310-6752
Margaret Vanderhye DelMVanderhye@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1034
District ofc: 703-448-8018
*Robert Mathieson DelRMathieson@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1021
District ofc: 757-470-3000
Joseph Bouchard DelJBouchard@house.virginia.gov
Richmond ofc: 804-698-1083
District ofc: 757-333-2527