Bought And Paid For By The HSUS?
Oklahoma Supreme Court Upholds Voter Measure Against Cockfighting
3/30/2004 3:53:00 PM
To: National Desk Contact: Wayne Pacelle of the Humane Society of the United States,
202-778-6112, WASHINGTON, March 30 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The Humane Society of the United
States (HSUS) and The Fund for Animals (The Fund) have issued the following
statements in reaction to the ruling issued today by the Oklahoma Supreme Court
on the case relating to the state's voter-approved law to ban cockfighting: "The delaying tactics and the flimsy legal arguments from the cockfighters
have been swept aside," stated Wayne Pacelle, a senior vice president of The
Humane Society of the United States. "Now, we should see the end of the barbaric
and inhumane practice of cockfighting in Oklahoma. No longer will it be legal to
pump birds full of stimulants, strap knives to their legs, place them in a pit,
and watch them hack one another to death -- all for amusement and illegal
gambling." "It has been nearly a year and a half since the people of Oklahoma voted
overwhelmingly to end the cruel and barbaric practice of strapping knives to
roosters' legs and forcing them to kill one another," said Michael Markarian,
president of The Fund for Animals. "It is high time for the will of the people
to be respected and the cockfighting ban implemented and enforced." Voters approved State Question 687 in November 2002, outlawing cockfighting
and making cockfighting and a variety of associated activities a felony offense.
Not long after the voters approved the initiative, cockfighters sued in dozens
of district courts to enjoin enforcement of the law, arguing that the law is
unconstitutional. Today, the Oklahoma Supreme Court, without dissent, affirmed the
constitutionality of the law. The HSUS and The Fund for Animals worked with
their members in Oklahoma and with grassroots organizations throughout the state
on the anti-cockfighting campaign. The political committee that conducted the
anti- cockfighting campaign is the Oklahoma Coalition Against Cockfighting. The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal
protection organization with more than eight million members and constituents.
On the web at http://www.hsus.org.
The Fund for Animals was founded in 1967 by author and animal advocate Cleveland
Amory. On the web at http://www.fund.org.
Michael Markarian of the Fund for Animals, 301-585-2591 ext.
216,
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a ban on cockfighting despite the efforts of enthusiasts of the blood sport, who had tried to block the measure for over a year.
Opponents of the ban had worked on a regional basis to prevent the law from being enforced in various localities, saying the ban was arbitrary, allowed for the unfair seizure of property and imposed penalties that were too harsh.
The court rejected these claims in a unanimous decision, saying the law was constitutional.
Attorney General Drew Edmondson had argued for the ban on behalf of the state and said "this ruling is a victory for the voters of Oklahoma."
The ban, passed in November 2002 by a statewide vote of 54 percent to 46 percent, carries penalties of one to 10 years in prison for those convicted of engaging in the cockfighting business, as well as fines of up to $25,000.
Judges in about 25 counties, mostly in southeast Oklahoma, had suspended enforcement of the ban.
Cockfighting is illegal in all other states except Louisiana and New Mexico.
By Christie Phillips cphillips@keynoter.com
As maimed chickens and bludgeoned pelicans make front-page news in Key West over the past weeks, many are left wondering if wildlife cruelty is a growing trend on the normally animal-friendly island.
“I don’t think it’s happening more, I just think people are starting to report it more,” said Janet Matheny, operations manager of Wildlife Rescue at Sonny McCoy Indigenous Park. “And that’s a good thing.”
Matheny has dealt with the recent brutality, starting with a rash of break-ins at the park, in which several chickens were stolen, recovered and stolen again. When discovered in a cage in Bahama Village, the stolen chickens showed clear signs of abuse, their wattles and crowns having been sliced off, presumably in preparation for cockfighting.
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Source: http://www.keynoter.com/news/20040331s08.html
The Senate passed House Bill 5029 by a vote of 22 to 15, with one excused. It authorizes the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to establish a dove hunting season. The bill includes a provision to allow the creation of a $2 dove stamp. Fees will be split equally between game and non-game programs.
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Source: http://www.ussportsmen.org/interactive/features/Read.cfm?ID=1288