1/8/07

One of the key VVAW bills for this session has now been filed.

The releasing agencies bill, House Bill 1853 (HB1853), patroned by Del. Rob Wittman and managed by VVAW board member Pat Weakland, is starting its way through the process.

This bill needs your immediate and continuing support.

You will help most by contacting Del. Wittman (phone or email) and let him know you support him.  It makes no difference that he may not be your delegate as this bill is for the entire state.

You must also contact members of both the House Ag Committee and Ag Subcommittee, voicing your support and saying you want their support for the bill. 

The contact can be a 30-second phone call or a two-line email. 

Just say:  “My friends, family and I want to curtail irresponsible breeding and therefore support HB1853, the bill patroned by Del. Rob Wittman.  We strongly believe you should support this bill, too, and would be most grateful if you would co-patron this bill.”

It is very easy to contact legislators:

Go to the VVAW website (www.VirginiaVotersForAnimalWelfare.com) and go to the blue side bar.

In the blue side bar, find “get active”. 

Click on “contact legislators”, and there you will find the entire house, entire senate, and the relevant committees for both.  It is very simple to send an email directly, or get the phone number for a call.

You can get others to do this as well.  Call your own vet to support this bill, and at the same time ask them to support the gas chamber elimination bill.

Call the officers or your own humane society, SPCA, rescue, or animal welfare group, asking them to make contact in support of the releasing agencies and gas chamber bill.

This bill helps “stop the flow”.  In the words of board member Kim Kincheloe, it is time to stop  “breeding a lot, adopting a few, and killing the rest”.

Other VVAW bills to ban gas chambers, to offer a humane education curriculum in public schools and to allow for adequate funding for animal welfare activities are also before the legislature.

You might ask for support of the full suite of VVAW bills in your contact, or just ask about releasing agencies, as you see fit.

In the words of Eliot Spitzer, crusading Attorney General of and now Governor of New York, you don’t make change by speaking in a whisper.

The opposition is out already.

So must you be.

Thank you.

Lillian Clancy and Don Marro

NOTE:  To see this bill, click on http://leg1.state.va.us/.

Then either look for HB1853, or see Del. Wittman and legislation he is patroning.