June 8, 2006
VVAW- Alert Status
VVAW-ers:
The 2006 session of Virginia’s General Assembly is over – except for the budget.
This session was very interesting and, in some ways, productive.
We were fortunate to have many legislators in both the Senate and the House of Delegates, both Republicans and Democrats – patron VVAW bills. Some of our legislators hear us and are sensitive to the issues regarding companion animals.
However, our bills were not passed, and so we will work toward the 2007 session.
While we had no bills passed, we believe our continued pressure on raising license fees for companion animals, and pushing on the dismal compliance with the state licensing requirement prompted other legislation that was successful. We congratulate Del. Bobby Orrock for the success of HB339 and look forward to seeing license purchases climb dramatically, both before and after the bill goes into effect in 7/2007. Finessing the veterinarians to join hands in this surge to compliance was well done, and to get county treasurers to bill and collect for licenses is no mean feat. Now we hope the next step is a raise in the cap for licenses so that jurisdictions can collect enough to be meaningful, earmarking funds from license sales for the animals.
We are working on plans for the 2007 session which the VVAW Board is currently reviewing. Once discussed, we will circulate the program to everyone for input and support. The highest urgency is elimination of gas chambers. There are just a handful left, but that handful needs to be abolished. We continue to work with those jurisdictions, and will try to make the elimination of gas something that comes from the Governor’s office if individual jurisdictions do not change. Short of that, we will be back in the 2007 session, again asking for legislation to eliminate gas.
Virginia code allows gas chambers. We had hoped that Gov. Warner would support a ruling that those not currently using gas would not be able to start using gas. That got lost in the budget fracas, however, and so even places not gassing could use gas. I ask this of each of you: tell us where you know gas is being used. We want to make sure we know every place that gases so we can work toward complete elimination of gas chambers.
Right now we believe these are the only places we know that use a gas chamber:
Appomattox
Buchanan
Lee
Martinsville City
Scott
Southampton
Wythe
Please let us know if there are others.
Change also happened internally. We have sadly received the resignations of Mollie McCurdy and Glen Swain from the VVAW Board. Mollie has difficulty attending all the meetings, but will come as often she can. Glen has personal commitments that prevent his involvement. Glen’s departure has been particularly difficult on communications as I am not very technical, and getting e-mails out to everyone and updating the website are beyond my capabilities. If anyone has suggestions of how to address the e-mail blasts and the website, we would appreciate hearing them. We are exploring at this end as well.
We will let you know about proposed additions to the VVAW Board.
As some of you may already know, Teresa Dockery is no longer associated with Virginia Federation of Humane Societies or Spay Virginia. We hope that this change will allow us another opportunity to collaborate with our sister organizations.
On a personal note, Don and I will be moving from Delaplane (Fauquier County) to The Plains (still Fauquier County), hoping that with fewer stairs, our lives will be a little easier. The move will take place at the end of June, and there will likely need to be new phone and fax numbers, so please be patient as we transition.
It has been a wonderful several years meeting and working with so many dedicated people. Let’s keep at it. Together, we can make change. Will you join in?
Thanks.
Lillian Clancy and Don Marro
Virginia Voters for Animal Welfare
540-592-3385