Energy Bill Loses Steam
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) filed anti-wildlife amendments to the energy bill that reached the Senate floor in early February. He, too, proposed removing gray wolves in Wyoming and the Great Lakes states from ESA protection...
Please see the below articles about Government/Legal from past editions of the AWI Quarterly.
Bad Sportsmen's Act Advances
The second session of the 114th Congress opened in January. On the 20th of the month, despite strong minority opposition and contentious debate, the Senate’s Committee on Environment and Public Works approved the “Bipartisan Sportsmen’s...
Wielding the Gavel Against Animal Cruelty
When it comes to animal cruelty cases, it is often hard to tell whether the glass is half empty or half full. Some individuals who have committed heinous acts of abuse are not even prosecuted...
Crush Video Perpetrator Convicted
On September 8, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced that Ashley Nicole Richards pleaded guilty to five counts of producing and distributing crush videos that depicted the torturing and killing...
Anti-poaching Bill Passes House
Congress has taken an important step toward cracking down on wildlife trafficking. On November 2, the House of Representatives passed HR 2494, the Global Anti-Poaching Act, introduced by Reps. Ed Royce (R-CA) and Eliot Engle...
Federal ORCA Act Introduced
On November 6, 2015, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced that he would introduce the Orca Responsibility and Care Advancement (ORCA) Act. With eight original cosponsors, the ORCA Act (HR 4019) takes a long-overdue step: it...
Sportsmen's Act Takes Another Shot at Wildlife
On October 7, the House Natural Resources Committee voted to advance HR 2406, the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act, which presents a clear assault on wildlife both at home and abroad. The current...
PAWS Act on Positive Track
On September 18, AWI joined other animal protection organizations in co-hosting a briefing by the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus for staff of members of the US House of Representatives on the Pet and Women Safety...
Animal Bills on the Hill
The 114th Congress has been an active one when it comes to animal welfare measures, both good and bad. A few of the most prominent good ones are summarized below. The outcome of the appropriations...
Illinois Steps Up for Children and Companion Animals, Steps Back on Bobcats
HB 3231, a bill proposed by AWI that provides for additional penalties when animal abuse is committed in front of a minor, passed the Illinois legislature (unanimously, in both chambers!) and was sent on June...