IMPORTANT: "Plan B" STOP VA Reptile BAN

[kernel]

Admin on another forum posted this.

Unfortunately the Virginia General Assembly email firewall is filtering out USARK's letter writing campaign to Stop VA Reptile BAN. Most of you have seen numerous emails kicked back as spam. In order to get around the firewall it will require everyone to do just a little more work. Please Do This... It is Extremely Important to demonstrate how many people oppose this ban. Below is two letters. One to the sponsor and committee members of SB477, and one to the sponsor and committee members of HB1242. With each letter is a list of email addresses to send the letter to. It will take a little effort to copy and paste the letter and email addresses to your own email account and send the letters, but please do it! There will very likely be a hearing on SB477 next Thursday!

1) Letter for SB477: (Copy and paste letter and addresses to send an email from your own account)

district24@senate.virginia.gov, district10@senate.virginia.gov, district38@senate.virginia.gov, district15@senate.virginia.gov, district14@senate.virginia.gov, district26@senate.virginia.gov, district09@senate.virginia.gov, district34@senate.virginia.gov, district06@senate.virginia.gov, district28@senate.virginia.gov, district37@senate.virginia.gov, district20@senate.virginia.gov, district13@senate.virginia.gov, district01@senate.virginia.gov, district30@senate.virginia.gov, district18@senate.virginia.gov

Senator Lucas and Committee Members,

As a resident/stakeholder in the Virginia reptile community I appreciate your concern for public safety. However, your proposed bill is far too over reaching in regards to reptiles. Who ever assisted in the construction of the bill obviously doesn't understand the natural history or economics of reptiles in VA; nor their relatively simple captive husbandry requirements. Further, there seems to be no understanding of the difference between occupational hazard and public safety risk.

The reptile industry represents $25 million annually in commerce in Virginia. Thousands make their living in this State because of this business. To cavalierly destroy this non-traditional agricultural interest because of a fundamental lack of understanding is unacceptable. As written, this bill will hurt me and my family. It is bad idea to kill jobs in this kind of economy.

Working with certain reptiles entails a moderate occupational risk, but historically and statistically, reptiles represent virtually zero public safety risk. Dogs account for 35 deaths a year in this country. Captive reptiles less than one per year. Traditional livestock and pets have proven much more of a public safety risk than reptiles. According to US Fish & Wildlife and US Geological Services studies, the rare event of a death as the result of a captive reptile falls into the category of occupational hazard. There is no record whatsoever of a captive reptile creating any measurable risk to the public... NEVER!

Please remove ALL reptiles from SB 477. Thank you.


2) Letter for HB1242: (Copy and paste letter and addresses to send an email from your own account)

DelCPeace@house.virginia.gov, DelRTyler@house.virginia.gov, DelDMarshall@house.virginia.gov, DelBOrrock@house.virginia.gov, DelCPoindexter@house.virginia.gov, DelBKnight@house.virginia.gov, DelJMorefield@house.virginia.gov, DelMJames@house.virginia.gov, DelMSickles@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Peace and Committee Members,

As a resident/stakeholder in the Virginia reptile community I appreciate your concern for public safety. However, your proposed bill is far too over reaching in regards to reptiles. Who ever assisted in the construction of the bill obviously doesn't understand the natural history or economics of reptiles in VA; nor their relatively simple captive husbandry requirements. Further, there seems to be no understanding of the difference between occupational hazard and public safety risk.

The reptile industry represents $25 million annually in commerce in Virginia. Thousands make their living in this State because of this business. To cavalierly destroy this non-traditional agricultural interest because of a fundamental lack of understanding is unacceptable. As written, this bill will hurt me and my family. It is bad idea to kill jobs in this kind of economy.

Working with certain reptiles entails a moderate occupational risk, but historically and statistically, reptiles represent virtually zero public safety risk. Dogs account for 35 deaths a year in this country. Captive reptiles less than one per year. Traditional livestock and pets have proven much more of a public safety risk than reptiles. According to US Fish & Wildlife and US Geological Services studies, the rare event of a death as the result of a captive reptile falls into the category of occupational hazard. There is no record whatsoever of a captive reptile creating any measurable risk to the public... NEVER!

Please remove ALL reptiles from HB1242. Thank you.