Senate passes SB460 - who voted to restrict your rights?

NC SB460 Commercial Breeder Regulation passed the Senate by *one vote*. Next election, remember those Senators who supported this bill and voted to restrict your rights. Senators voting in favor of this bill did the bidding of out-of-state activists, not NC constituents. The majority of phone calls supporting SB460 are not from NC area codes.

3rd Reading vote on SB#460 on Wednesday, 08/05/09

IN FAVOR of SB#460 (23 votes)
Basnight, Blue, Boseman, Clodfelter, Dannelly, Davis, Dorsett, Foriest, Garrou, Graham, Hoyle, Hunt, Jenkins, Jones, Kinnaird, McKissick, Nesbitt, Purcell, Rand, Shaw, Soles, Stein, Vaughan.

AGAINST SB#460 (22 votes)
Albertson, Allran, Apodaca, Doug Berger, Phil Berger, Blake, Brown, Brunstetter, Clary, East, Forrester, Goodall, Goss, Hartsell, Jacumin, Preston, Rouzer, Rucho, Snow, Swindell, Tillman, Weinstein.

ABSENT: Atwater, Bingham

Not voting (but not excused) Queen

Paired Brock [N] & Stevens [Y] (so neither vote was counted)

Breeder Bill SB 460 passes 2nd reading

Version 3 of NC SB460 was pushed to the floor today by Rules Committee Chairman, Sen. Tony Rand (D-Bladen, Cumberland), for second reading. SB460 Revision 3 passed by a narrow vote of 24 - 22 and 3rd reading is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. The state's economic distress and pending tax increases apparently were not enough to dissuade those who voted in favor of regulating dog breeders based on an HSUS exploited dog kennel crisis.

A fourth version was posted to the bill's website after today's vote. This latest version calls for commercial kennels to use current animal shelter facility standards; provides for a publicly posted internet registry of licensed facilities; authorizes county animal control as enforcers; protocols for daily exercise and veterinary care are yet to be written.

Today's vote:

IN FAVOR OF SB#460 (24 votes)

Basnight, Blue, Boseman, Clodfelter, Dannelly, Davis, Dorsett, Foriest, Garrou, Graham, Hoyle, Hunt, Jenkins, Jones, Kinnaird, McKissick, Nesbitt, Purcell, Rand, Shaw, Soles, Stein, Vaughan, Weinstein

AGAINST SB#460 (22 votes)

Albertson, Apodaca, Doug Berger, Phil Berger, Blake, Brock, Brown, Brunstetter, Clary, East, Forrester, Goodall, Goss, Hartsell, Jacumin, Preston, Queen, Rouzer, Rucho, Show, Swindell, and Tillman.

ABSENT: Allran, Atwater, Bingham, Stevens

SB 460 pulled from Senate Calendar

Senate Majority Leader, Tony Rand (D-Bladen, Cumberland), pulled SB 460 from today’s Calendar after it failed to reach a caucus consensus prior to the start of the Senate session. SB 460 was sent to the Rules Committee, possibly for more amendments.

SB 460 is now entitled the Puppy Mill Ban. IF this bill would pass, everyone who falls within the criteria for regulation will be marked as a potential puppy mill needing regulation.

There is no legal definition for the term "puppy mill." The term "puppy mill" was coined by animal rights activists to be used against anyone who breeds dogs, regardless of the care the animals receive. The name-calling is a means of turning the uninformed public against all dog breeders, gain sympathy and raise money for their constant barrage of animal rights propaganda. In 31 other states where HSUS has introduced their puppy mill bills this year, the number criteria changes. To crack down on alleged puppy mills in Maryland HSUS determined 10 was the magic number; Tennessee, Montana and others 20 was used as the beginning point for licensing; and in Illinois HSUS determined that only by licensing breeders beginning with 3 intact dogs could the state be saved from being overrun with puppy mills. Whatever is most convenient for HSUS seems to be the puppy mill definition of the moment.

There are laws to address abusive dog owners and breeders. SB 460 is not the answer. SB 460 is an unnecessary bill that is part of the radical HSUS agenda.

The NC Department of Agriculture is already understaffed and underfunded. They cannot afford this bill and neither can NC citizens. Tell your Senator to vote NO to SB 460.