Saturday, October 25, 2014

News Briefs and Updates October 24, 2014



Dear SAOVA Friends,

Campaign financing information has been released by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that includes contributions through September 30.  We have a few notable updates for you from these figures. The Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF) spent a total of $78,493 supporting the campaign of Congressman Gary Peters (D) to win the open Senate seat race in Michigan against challenger Terri Lynn Land (R).  A close second is Senator Jeff Merkley (D, OR) where HSLF has contributed $75,150 to assist his re-election.

We reported previously that HSLF had contributed $41,794 to the campaign of Tony Strickland (R) in the California district 25 open Congressional seat race against Steve Knight (R).  Rounding out the list of top expenditures is the HSLF contribution of $50,941 to Congressman Bruce Braley (D) challenging Joni Ernst (R) for the open Iowa Senate seat.  

As of October 23, HSUS/HSLF contributed approximately $2 million to Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting, headed by HSUS state director Katie Hansberry, in support of their ballot initiative.  Question 1 on the November ballot would ban the use of bait, dogs and traps for bear hunting in the state. The current report from the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices shows only one percent of the campaign funds raised by supporters of Question 1 actually came from Maine donors. In addition, HSUS/Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting filed a lawsuit in September requesting an injunction against the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to prevent them from speaking out publicly against Question 1 and to have all content opposing Question 1 removed from their website.  

Last week Superior Court Justice Joyce Wheeler rejected the injunction request.  “Restricting speech on contested public issues is directly contrary to the public interest, which favors a robust and dynamic public discourse,” Wheeler said in her 15-page decision. “It is [for] the voters, not the plaintiffs or the courts, to assess the relative merits of conflicting speech.  Judge Wheeler continued, “The public interest would be adversely affected if plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order were granted when DIF&W’s speech is on topics squarely within its competence as governor of statutory directives from the Legislature.”   HSUS/Mainers for Fair Bear Hunting plans to appeal the decision.

Please read and share the rest of our updates. The world not only belongs to those who show up, it's controlled by the best informed and most motivated.  Make your vote count on November 4th!

Susan Wolf
Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance -
Working to identify and elect supportive legislators


ALDF PETITIONS TO REGULATE GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS
San Francisco — On October 16, the national nonprofit Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) filed a formal rulemaking petition with the California Air Resources Board to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from animal agriculture, as it does for the energy and transportation sectors. The petition calls on the agency to require “factory farms” to report greenhouse gas emissions to the Air Resources Board, which will “cap” these emissions. California’s groundbreaking cap-and-trade program stems from the state’s 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act.  ALDF’s first-of-its-kind state petition asks the Air Resources Board to include animal agriculture in that program. California uses more than 25 million acres of land for agriculture. “Animal agriculture is systematically responsible for cruelty to millions of animals, pollution of natural resources, and health problems in our state,” said ALDF Executive Director Stephen Wells. “Our state agencies should regulate pollution from the animal agriculture industry like they do for cars and trucks.”

YET ANOTHER HSUS AWARD
The inaugural “Humane Filmmaker” award will be presented this month to Director Darren Aronofsky for using computer-generated images instead of animals in the movie “Noah”.  According to HSUS the film shows that animals can be a large part of entertainment production without risking their welfare. “As more directors like Aronofsky choose digital alternatives in film, TV, and advertising, animal actors could become as obsolete as celluloid film” said Debbie Leahy, HSUS Manager of Captive Wildlife Protection.

PERDUE/HSUS JOINT PRESS RELEASE
October 13, 2014.  Perdue Farms, Inc. and The Humane Society of the United States are pleased to announce the settlement of two federal cases in New Jersey and Florida concerning Perdue's "humanely raised" claim on its Harvestland chicken labels. The settlement requires the plaintiffs to dismiss their claims with prejudice, in exchange for Perdue agreeing to remove the "Humanely Raised" label claim from its Harvestland chicken packaging.

The proposed class action cases were filed in 2010 and 2013 by individual consumers who contended that Perdue's "Humanely Raised" claim on the packaging of its Harvestland brand chicken was misleading. Perdue vigorously opposed plaintiffs' claims.

"We are pleased to see the claim removed from Harvestland's packaging, which we view to be misleading," said Peter Petersan, Director of Animal Protection Litigation for the HSUS. "We will continue to work to protect both animals and consumers."

"Perdue rejects the plaintiffs' allegations and maintains that its labels are not misleading in any way. Nonetheless, it has agreed to discontinue the labeling claim at issue," said Herb Frerichs, General Councel for Perdue Farms. "Perdue is committed to treating animals with respect and to ensure their health and safety. We are pleased this lawsuit has been resolved."
Source: HSUS press release http://tinyurl.com/pvd59w7

SANCTIONS ISSUED IN 'PUPPY MILL' ONLINE DEFAMATION SUIT
Burlington County Superior Court Judge M. Patricia Richmond awarded $25,000 in legal fees on October 16 to Clifford Mintz of East Windsor N.J. to be paid by plaintiffs Donna Roberts and Dawn Abrams. The fee decision comes four years after Richmond granted summary judgment dismissing Roberts' and Abrams' claims against Mintz. 

Mintz had been ranting on his blog against Roberts and Abrams, accusing them of running a puppy mill.  According to reports the dispute began when Mintz purchased a second dog from the breeders. Mintz claimed he thought the dog was another purebred, but that it turned out to be an unhealthy mix-breed.   Roberts and Abrams claimed they told him the dog had been rescued from a pet owner who could not care for him.

Roberts and Abrams compared the blogging attacks to cyber-bullying and after two years filed a defamation suit against Mintz; however, the suit was dismissed on First Amendment grounds by Superior Court Judge Patricia Lebon.  HSUS had joined the lawsuit in defense of Mintz, arguing the suit was designed to stop him from warning the public through protected speech about the unscrupulous business practices of dog breeders.

NATIONAL SHERIFF’S ASSOCIATION, HSUS JOINT PROJECT
John Thompson, executive director of the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA), believes animal abuse is too common.  So if we can stop a case of animal cruelty, we may intercept violent crimes against people as well”, says Thompson.

The NSA was instrumental in working with the FBI to have animal cruelty offenses, including animal neglect, listed as a separate category in the Uniform Crime Report (UCR), the prime source of information on crime in the U.S.  Animal cruelty crimes will now be classified as distinct Group A offenses, joining other major crimes such as arson, assault, and homicide, and will require the reporting of both incidents and arrests. The reported crimes will be categorized as simple/gross neglect; intentional abuse and torture; organized abuse; and animal sexual abuse.

NSA in partnership with ICE BlackBox and the HSUS have launched a new feature within the ICE BlackBox app to report animal abusers. The ICE BlackBox app not only records the abuse, but also notes the GPS coordinates.  When someone begins recording an event, the recording is uploaded to the NSA secure servers in Alexandria VA to its National Law Enforcement Center on Animal Abuse (NLECAA).  Kaema Akpan is heading up that effort as the center's attorney and will filter the videos to the right police agencies.  According to the NLECAA website, HSUS-funded agents will be used to assist in alerting local authorities and district attorneys.

Thompson noted that local law enforcement departments taking part in pilot programs tied directly to ICE BlackBox would instantly receive recordings of animal abuse from local citizens.

In the HSUS press release Thompson said: “We encourage everyone who has a smartphone and cares about protecting animals and our communities to download this new app.”  Thompson added, “We want to give special thanks to Cesar Millan and the Cesar Millan Foundation for their contribution in the public service announcement video that was shown at the news conference.” This PSA is the first in a series on reporting animal abuse with the ICE BlackBox App.

The app originally developed for the National Neighborhood Watch program was modified to allow the public to report animal abuse.

Sources: ABC News; AL.Com; HSUS press release http://tinyurl.com/n6gghcw
National Sheriffs’ Association website http://tinyurl.com/kdru9l2
National Sheriffs’ Association media contact: Susan Crow scrow@sheriffs.org

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

SAOVA updated 2014 election website

The Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance (SAOVA) today unveiled its updated 2014 Election website at http://saova.org/

The site contains our endorsements of more than 250 candidates running for Congress in the elections on November 4, 2014. In addition, we have provided our analysis of candidates in several state legislative contests. SAOVA ENDORSED candidates understand the anti-hunting, anti-animal ownership threat of animal rights ideology, and have voting records or exceptionally strong values that demonstrate their commitment to protecting our interests and not burdening us with unnecessary, restrictive regulation. Animal Rightist Endorsed politicians are the problem. They are formally endorsed or highly rated by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and they consistently vote for legislation to strip us of our rights to hunt, fish, and own pets and livestock.

Key incumbents endorsed in this election include:

Mike Coffman (R-CO 6)
Rick Scott (R-FL Governor)
John Barrow (D-GA 12)
Pat Roberts (R-KS Senate)
Lee Terry (R-NE 2)
Kay Hagan (D-NC Senate)

Important SAOVA candidate endorsements include:

Dan Sullivan (R-AK Senate)
Steve Knight (R-CA 25)
Brian Nestande (R-CA 36)
Cory Gardner (R-CO Senate)
Bruce Rauner (R-IL Governor)
Mike Bost (R-IL 12)
Bobby Schilling (R-IL 17)
Joni Ernst (R-IA Senate)
Bill Cassidy (R-LA Senate)
Steve Daines (R-MT Senate)
Alex Mooney (R-WV 2)
Evan Jenkins (R-WV 3)

There are also ballot initiatives for voters in several states.  Maine voters must decide on Question 1, the Bear Referendum – an HSUS initiative which would ban the use of bait, dogs or traps in bear hunting.  The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine’s Bear Biologists, and Maine Game Wardens are opposed to Question 1 based upon over 40 years of scientific research conducted by state wildlife biologists in Maine.  The state already has one of the largest bear populations in the country, estimated at over 30,000 bears.  Vote NO on Question 1.

Right to Hunt and Fish Amendments will be on the ballots in Alabama and Mississippi to ensure the continuation of hunting, fishing, and trapping traditions for future generations. If passed, Alabama and Mississippi will join 17 other states in ensuring constitutional protections for their citizens.

Please take the time to visit and study our analyses. We make no pretense of evaluating candidates' positions on national security, taxes, education, medical care or social issues. To the degree that hunting and animal ownership are important to you, we offer this review to be combined with other, personal considerations to determine your vote on November 4, 2014.

The world not only belongs to those who show up, it's controlled by the best informed and most motivated.  Vote on November 4th!

Cross posting is encouraged.


Susan Wolf
Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance -
Working to identify and elect supportive legislators

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

SPORTSMEN ENDORSE JONI ERNST FOR U.S. SENATE

For Immediate Release
October 7, 2014

The Sportsmen’s and Animal Owners’ Voting Alliance (SAOVA) today endorsed Joni Ernst for U.S. Senate in Iowa.  SAOVA’s Director Susan Wolf announced that Ernst shares our concerns regarding the need to protect our traditions and livelihoods from overzealous regulation. Ernst grew up on a hog farm and remains strongly connected to Iowa’s agricultural community.  As a member of the Iowa State Senate, Ernst had a proven record supporting the interests of animal owners in all sectors as well as the state’s sportsmen. Ernst will be a strong voice in Congress for hunting sportsmen, animal owners, and livestock producers. 

Make a difference in Washington.   Vote for Joni Ernst on November 4.

Contact Susan Wolf saova@earthlink.net


The Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance (SAOVA) is a nationwide, nonpartisan group of volunteers seeking to elect supportive legislators. Our members hunt, fish and own livestock, dogs, cats and other pets. For more information about SAOVA visit http://saova.org

Monday, October 6, 2014

SPORTSMEN ENDORSE ALEXANDER MOONEY FOR CONGRESS

For Immediate Release
October 6, 2014

SPORTSMEN ENDORSE ALEXANDER MOONEY FOR CONGRESS

The Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance (SAOVA) today endorsed Alex Mooney for West Virginia’s second congressional district. SAOVA’s Director Susan Wolf noted that Mooney is a candidate who could make a substantial difference in Washington effectively advocating for agricultural producers, sportsmen, and animal owners. “Today these sectors are under attack from over-zealous groups and agency regulation that would severely restrict many of our existing rights and traditions.”  Wolf continued, “Mooney, a hunter and outdoorsman, has a proven voting record in support of sportsmen and still took the time to complete and return our candidate survey.   It is clear that Mooney understands our concerns and will be a strong voice protecting our interests in Washington.”

“I am honored to have the support and endorsement of the Sportsmen’s and Animal Owner’s Voting Alliance,” said Alex Mooney. “I am proud to stand alongside SAOVA in fighting for the traditions and values that many West Virginians have had for generations. In Congress, I will work to halt the federal government from continually growing and controlling more of our everyday lives so that our sportsmen, animal owners, and agricultural community can continue our mountaineer traditions.”

Contact Susan Wolf
saova@earthlink.net

The Sportsmen's and Animal Owners' Voting Alliance (SAOVA) is a nationwide, nonpartisan group of volunteers seeking to elect supportive legislators. Our members hunt, fish and own livestock, dogs, cats and other pets. For more information about SAOVA visit http://saova.org