Dear Pennsylvania Friends,
The purpose of this memo is two-fold, to alert you to a pending Harrisburg bill that creates private, armed humane society police forces and to comment on next week's primary elections.
SB871 is well advanced in the PA Senate. It will receive near final consideration when that body reconvenes on May 3, 2004. http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/L...03/0/SB0871.HTM
SB871 Summary: An Act amending Title 22 (Detectives and Private Police) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for appointment by nonprofit corporations; providing for humane society police officers' appointment, qualifications, authority and discipline; conferring powers and duties on the Department of Agriculture; providing for search warrants; establishing the State Board of Humane Society Police Officers and the Humane Society Police Officer Training and Education Account. Policemen so appointed for a corporation organized for the prevention of cruelty to children or aged persons [or animals], or one or more of such purposes, shall severally possess and exercise all the powers of a police officer in any county in which they may be directed by the corporation to act.
Similar, private humane society police forces were thoroughly discredited in New Jersey a few years ago. See http://advance8.tripod.com/share/id31.html
The PA Federation of Humane Societies is expected to endorse this bill, if it hasn't already. http://www.clearnet.net/users/spca/federpg.htm Note the legislative link to HSUS's opposition to PA pro-hunting bills.
If this bill is meant to save money on local animal regulation enforcement, it's an expensive abrogation of legislative responsibility that is likely to cost countless Pennsylvania citizens their lawful rights. The PA Federation of Dog Clubs (AKC) http://www.paonline.com/PFDC/ and every farm group, dog and sportsmen's club in the state should coordinate efforts to defeat this ill-conceived bill. Chief SB871 sponsor Sen. Robert Thompson's contact information may be found at http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs...strictnumber=19
PA's April 27, 2004 Primary Elections:
The Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance (SAOVA) 2004 primary candidate analyses are underway. Unfortunately, resource limitations have prevented us from considering the politicians running for the PA13 and PA15 seats vacated by Rep. Hoeffel and Toomey, in their efforts to unseat Sen. Arlen Specter. We'll attempt to interview the winners in those House contests before November, but it's very clear that SAOVA will be endorsing the opponent of anti-hunter, animal rightist Joseph Hoeffel.
Sincerely,
Bob Kane
Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance
http://saova.org
Forwarding and cross posting encouraged.
PA Humane Society Private Police Proposed
Moderators: Pike Ridge Beagles, Aaron Bartlett