Please Voice Your Opposition to Snake Ban Bill HR 511 ASAP!

[wendhend]

I can't see find that anyone else here has addressed this yet today, but I woke up this morning with notifications from USARK and Kingsnake.com saying the that House Bill HR 511 is scheduled to go before the judiciary committee TOMORROW morning, February 28th and seeks to add all nine of the large constrictor species to the Lacey Act. A telephone campaign has been started, and we don't have much time to act. But please make the calls and SHARE this information. I just got done making calls to every representative on this list and shared as much as I could on Facebook. Please help with this effort to prevent any further snake banning. The following is the information sent out by USARK this morning:


RED ALERT: HR511 Stop Python BAN NOW!


HR 511, a bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the importation of variousinjurious species of constrictor snakes; Indian python, Python molurus, including the Burmese python, Python molurus bivittatus; reticulated python, Broghammerusreticulatus; Northern African python,Python sebae; Southern African python, Python natalensis; Boa constrictor; yellow anaconda, Eunectes notaeus; DeSchauensee’s anaconda,Eunectes deschauenseei; green anaconda, Eunectes murinus; and the Beni anaconda, Eunectes beniensis, in the US House of Representatives, was introduced January 26, 2011 byCongressman Tom Rooney (R-FL) .

Congressman Rooney has taken action to move HR 511! This bill seeks to add 9constricting snakes to the Injurious Wildlife List of the Lacey Act. HR 511 has been scheduled for a Markup Hearing before the US House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday February 28, 2012 at10:00 AM EST.

Markups for the 112th Congress (http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/markups112.html)

>>There is very little time to voice opposition to this bill that coulddevistate the Reptile Community. Please participate in the USARK Call In Campaign TODAY!<<

PHONE CAMPAIGN:

Talking Points:

Will destroy thousands of jobs and small family businesses; $104 million annual economicimpact.
Criminalize the actions of over 1 million American Citizens; Lacey Act felons.
Federal action to address a localized problem in South Florida is unnecessary; the State ofFlorida and US Fish & Wildlife have already taken draconian measures.
Underlying science has been criticized by scientists from around the world.
Creates a massive animal welfare problem, potentially displacing millions ofanimals.

Key Members of House Judiciary Committee:

Lamar Smith (R-TX)- 202-225-4236
Sensenbrenner (R-WI)- 202-225-5101
Coble (R-NC)- 202-225-3065
Issa (R-CA)- 202-225-3906
Gohmert (R-TX)- 202-225-3035
Chaffetz (R-UT)- 202-225-7751
Gowdy (R-SC)- 202-225-6030
Poe (R-TX)- 202-225-6565
Goodlatte (R-VA)- 202-225-5431

DO IT NOW!!!

[millertime89]

thanks for sharing Wendy

[millertime89]

Make those phone calls people! It took me all of 15 minutes to do because I explained why this bill should be killed. Also I was just informed that Representative Chaffetz is against it! We're making progress people! Keep making those calls!

[lady_bug87]

Wait, is this bill just banning the importation of wild snakes? Or does it affect CB/CBB ownership?

[wendhend]

Thanks for being proactive, Kyle! Yes, it really doesn't take that long to make the calls. We just have to get on it, because we have so little time to act with this bill scheduled to go before the US House Judiciary Commitee TOMORROW morning at 10:00 AM. Please CALL these representatives and SHARE this information TODAY!

[Will0W783]

This is ridiculous...I sent emails and calls...these bills will keep coming I fear. :(

[alessia55]

Sigh... it's never ending :no:

[Norm66]

I called. I'm becoming resigned to the inevitable though.

[Gungirl]

Wait, is this bill just banning the importation of wild snakes? Or does it affect CB/CBB ownership?

I am wondering the same...

[Hillsberry]

:no:I don't even understand why they are punishing the whole US when it's just South Florida's problem.

[millertime89]

Wait, is this bill just banning the importation of wild snakes? Or does it affect CB/CBB ownership?

My understanding based on a bit of reading is its adding them to the Lacey Act, so no interstate travel or sale and no importation.

[Rogue628]

Wait...what?!? Am I reading this correctly...that they are trying to add the rest of the 9 to the lacy act? Or is it just more than the original 9?

Can someone dumb it down for me please? I have the dumb today (probably caused by waaay too much work...I easily become a brain dead dummy)

[millertime89]

You read it correctly, the bill was reintroduced by Tom Rooney of Florida's 16th district. Go figure its the florida tards that are trying to turn this into a national issue in an election year.
Poe and Coble are on our side now too!

[Rogue628]

It's probably too late for me to call them now. But I WILL be making some phone calls first thing in the morning even if I'm at work while doing it! This is freakin' INSANE!

I honestly feel it's all a political move because it's election year. They're using people's fear of these animals (fear that's typically unfounded and ignorant due to lack of education) to prey upon people and votes! The reptile industry isn't as big as some other industries that could be hit. We're kind of the small group so we don't matter much (just my opinion...) as well as being kind of elite in the sense most people aren't aware of how many people actually keep these animals.

Why aren't they addressing REAL issues like better health care or education? How about the federal deficit? Noone wants to touch the real issues that's going to be the downfall of the US. Instead they pick on the small groups that would be easy to bulldoze. And to hell with what really matters!!!

Grrr..... I need a woo-sa moment now.....

[millertime89]

Floridians! Vote out Nelson and Rooney this year!
Bill Nelson (who pushed for the USGS/USFWS route) and Tom Rooney (reactivated HR511) are BOTH up for reelection this year. No wonder they're trying to make this a bigger issue than it needs to be.

People, please call first thing tomorrow morning or call tonight and leave a message! The vote is tomorrow afternoon!

[lady_bug87]

so you can still buy and keep them as long as you stay in the state, the issue comes when/if a keeper moves states correct?

[wendhend]

so you can still buy and keep them as long as you stay in the state, the issue comes when/if a keeper moves states correct?

It would apply to importation and crossing of state lines and to both wild caught and captive bred snakes. So, it would be illegal for you to take your banned species of pet snakes with you if you moved to a different state. It would also be illegal for you to purchase snakes from other states or countries and have them shipped to you. As a pet owner, that would greatly reduce your selection of pet snakes to choose from, as so many of us have become used to buying our best snakes online. It would be even worse if you are a breeder and have a business, because you would no longer be able to ship your snakes across state lines, which would greatly reduce business. Also that knowing that any of these types of snakes have been listed on the Lacey Act as "injurious species" would make a lot of people think twice about acquiring them in the first place; even within their own states. Owners of these snakes that did have to move out of state for some reason would likely have trouble finding new homes for them, and there would be the whole new issue of displaced animals..... and hopefully people wouldn't be dumb enough to release them into the wild.....

[Skumbo]

^ but people are, and will because they need to move to feed their families, etc.

Ironically its a good thing the science that the bill was "founded" on is horribly innacurate because otherwise we'd have snakes running loose murdering everything within a few years of snake keepers who release these snakes into the wild in order to move

instead we'll have a lot of dead frozen innocent snakes that should be loved pets :(

[wendhend]

^ but people are, and will because they need to move to feed their families, etc.

Ironically its a good thing the science that the bill was "founded" on is horribly innacurate because otherwise we'd have snakes running loose murdering everything within a few years of snake keepers who release these snakes into the wild in order to move

instead we'll have a lot of dead frozen innocent snakes that should be loved pets :(

And that's what I was hinting at. I do think that it might make some people even more likely to release snakes into the wild than they are now; whether it would be desperation to get rid of them so that they can move or possibly even retaliation against this kind of law. And I agree that it would probably only be the animals that suffer the consequences; not the people. Sad!

[Skumbo]

And that's what I was hinting at. I do think that it might make some people even more likely to release snakes into the wild than they are now; whether it would be desperation to get rid of them so that they can move or possibly even retaliation against this kind of law. And I agree that it would probably only be the animals that suffer the consequences; not the people. Sad!

I used that argument when talking to representatives on the phone, they told me they hadnt heard that argument for it, while everything else they were kind of like"ah yes but __" or "Ah yeah we know thats a good point"

but that was kind of a "oh right.. thats why we have so many stray dogs/cats cause people just let them loose if they cant bring them when they move"

[wendhend]

I used that argument when talking to representatives on the phone, they told me they hadnt heard that argument for it, while everything else they were kind of like"ah yes but __" or "Ah yeah we know thats a good point"

but that was kind of a "oh right.. thats why we have so many stray dogs/cats cause people just let them loose if they cant bring them when they move"


Interesting that they didn't think of that. To me it seems like a pretty obvious way that such legistlation could backfire.

[Skumbo]

Interesting that they didn't think of that. To me it seems like a pretty obvious way that such legistlation could backfire.

HA-DOYYY

its a good example of how little they understand about these things.

[millertime89]

its the people that want to keep their snakes that this legislation is harming.

[Skumbo]

its the people that want to keep their snakes that this legislation is harming.

Actually I think its going to hurt breeders much more, but still could hurt some owners who need to move (like me..) soon/in the future/arent settled in somewhere, have vets out of state, etc.