SB477 is in the WV House Judiciary Committee. THIS MAY BE OUR LAST CHANCE TO KILL SB477! Please call and email committee members. If you did not take action in the House Natural Resources Committee, you can not afford to procrastinate. DO THIS TODAY! Send a return email to let us know you have done your part! Phone campaign info is below. Underneath phone campaign is email campaign. Let's shut down SB477 TODAY!



PHONE CALL CAMPAIGN:

We need everyone to TELEPHONE CALL the state house and register your opposition to SB477.



Sample script:



Unlike traditional pets and livestock, Reptiles have NEVER presented a public safety risk.

Tropical reptiles cannot survive in WV, and DO NOT represent any invasive species risk.

Reptile Industry is a $15 million annual business in WV. Thousands of people and hundreds of jobs rely on this non-traditional agricultural pursuit.

These bills will hurt me and my family with no measurable benefit to the State of WV.

SB477 has been rushed through the process with minimal input from stakeholders.

No on SB477



Judiciary Committee



Delegate Miley

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3252

Business Phone: (304) 326-1800

E-mail: tim.miley@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Hunt

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3392

Business Phone: (304) 344-1800

E-mail: mhunt@markahunt.com



Delegate Ellem

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3394

Business Phone: (304) 424-5297

E-mail: john.ellem@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Lane

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3275

Business Phone: (304) 545-5263

E-mail: patrick.lane@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Barker

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3149

Business Phone: (304) 340-3149

E-mail: larry.barker@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Brown

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3106

Business Phone: NA

E-mail: bonnie.brown@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Doyle

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3184

Business Phone: (304) 876-1648

E-mail: johndoyle@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Ferro

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3111

Business Phone: (304) 340-3111

E-mail: mike.ferro@wvhouse.gov

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3169

Business Phone: (304) 296-7035

E-mail: barbaraf@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Frazier

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3396

Business Phone: NA

E-mail: john.frazier@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Longstreth

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3124

Business Phone: NA

E-mail: linda.longstreth@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Manchin

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3166

Business Phone: (304) 367-1862

E-mail: tmanchin@manchininjurylaw.com



Delegate Mannypenny

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3139

Business Phone: (304) 677-0379

E-mail: mike.manypenny@wvhouse.gov



Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3340

Business Phone: (304) 538-6881

E-mail: harold@hardynet.com



Delegate Moore

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3189

Business Phone: (304) 436-8569

E-mail: clif.moore@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Pino

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3170

Business Phone: (304) 469-3295

E-mail: john.pino@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Poore

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3248

Business Phone: (304) 720-0764

E-mail: meshea.poore@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Walker

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3135

Business Phone: (304) 340-3135

E-mail: david.walker@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Wells

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3287

Business Phone: NA

E-mail: danny.wells@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Hamilton

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3167

Business Phone: (304) 472-1532

E-mail: bill.hamilton@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Ireland

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3195

Business Phone: NA

E-mail: woody.ireland@wvhouse.gov



Delegate Miller

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3147

Business Phone: (304) 283-5975

E-mail: jonathan@delegatejmiller.com



Delegate Oneal



Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3164

Business Phone: (304) 894-8445

E-mail: john.oneal@wvhouse.gov











Delegate Overington



Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3148

Business Phone: (304) 274-1791

E-mail: john@overington.com











Delegate Sobonya



Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3175

Business Phone: (304) 736-6655

E-mail: kelli.sobonya@wvhouse.gov









EMAIL CAMPAIGN:









Sample Letter:









Subject Line: No on SB477









Delegate Mannypenny and Committee Members,



As a resident/stakeholder in the West Virginia reptile community I appreciate your concern for public safety and environmental protection. However, your proposed bill is far too over reaching in regards to reptiles. Who ever assisted in the construction of the bill doesn't understand the natural history, captive husbandry nor the economics of reptiles in WV. Most of these animals are tropical in nature and cannot survive the cold temperatures that prevail 3 seasons of the year in our state. The idea that these animals pose an invasive species threat to WV natural resources is unsupportable by fact. Additionally, these animals have never posed a public safety threat in WV or elsewhere.



The reptile industry represents $15 million annually in commerce in West Virginia. Thousands make their living in this State because of this business. To cavalierly destroy this non-traditional agricultural interest because of a fundamental lack of understanding is unacceptable. As written, this bill will hurt me and my family. It is bad idea to kill jobs in this kind of economy.



Working with certain reptiles entails a moderate occupational risk, but historically and statistically, reptiles represent virtually zero public safety risk. Dogs account for 35 deaths a year in this country (a dozen in 2012 to date). Captive reptiles less than one per year. Traditional livestock and pets have proven much more of a public safety risk than reptiles. According to US Fish & Wildlife and US Geological Services studies, the rare event of a death as the result of a captive reptile falls into the category of occupational hazard. There is no record whatsoever of a captive reptile creating any measurable risk to the public... NEVER!









SB477 has been rushed through the legislative process with minimal stakeholder input.



Neighboring Virginia has already seen the wisdom in reconsidering such an ill advised bill. Please remove ALL reptiles from SB477. Thank you.



Thank you.









Email List for House Natural Resources Committee: (if emails bounce slightly change subject line keeping SB477; or try sending to addresses one at a time)





tim.miley@wvhouse.gov

mhunt@markahunt.com

john.ellem@wvhouse.gov

patrick.lane@wvhouse.gov

larry.barker@wvhouse.gov

bonnie.brown@wvhouse.gov

johndoyle@wvhouse.gov

mike.ferro@wvhouse.gov

barbaraf@wvhouse.gov

john.frazier@wvhouse.gov

linda.longstreth@wvhouse.gov

tmanchin@manchininjurylaw.com

mike.manypenny@wvhouse.gov

harold@hardynet.com

clif.moore@wvhouse.gov

john.pino@wvhouse.gov

meshea.poore@wvhouse.gov

david.walker@wvhouse.gov

danny.wells@wvhouse.gov

woody.ireland@wvhouse.gov

jonathan@delegatejmiller.com

john.oneal@wvhouse.gov

john@overington.com

kelli.sobonya@wvhouse.gov

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Hide Replies ]