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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 14, 2019 09:49 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative William C. Kortz, II |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Animal Fighting |
Each year, numerous animals are forced to fight for their lives as a form of sadistic entertainment. Highly secretive and heavily regulated, animals bred and raised for this underground fighting are shown no love or compassion, wasting away until the day they find peace in the jaws of another animal or at the hands of an enraged owner. Often connected with gang activity and organized crime, animal fighting puts both animals and humans at increased risk, in and out of the ring. My legislation would add animal fighting to the state’s racketeering provisions, which already include insurance fraud, bribery, kidnapping, theft, and bookmaking, allowing the state to better address the pattern of illegal activity associated with animal fighting. It would also provide added tools to prosecutors who target these offenses, both on the county and state level, including longer penalties and higher fines. Currently, Illinois, Virginia, New Jersey, Texas, Delaware, Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia have language that includes animal fighting in their racketeering provisions. It is my hope that we can join them with this bill, which will result in enhanced investigations and enforcement, and increase the prosecution of organized animal fighting within the Commonwealth. The cruelty and trauma created by animal fighting is overwhelming and immeasurable; as legislators, we must protect and care for all of our constituents, animal and human alike. Please join me in condemning this disgusting and inhumane practice – we must stand up and be the voice for the abused animals, those who have suffered and those who continue to suffer, that do not have one. HB 1197 of the 2017-2018 Legislative Session Previous co-sponsors: D. COSTA, SCHLOSSBERG, DEAN, W. KELLER, DONATUCCI, DRISCOLL, O'BRIEN, PASHINSKI, SOLOMON, B. O'NEILL, LONGIETTI, SAINATO, McNEILL, READSHAW, RYAN, SCHWEYER, MILLARD, ROEBUCK, DeLUCA, BIZZARRO, DEASY, FARRY, SIMS, KORTZ, P. COSTA, SACCONE, RAVENSTAHL and BARBIN |
Introduced as HB353