Posted by:
EricWI
at Tue Mar 6 07:40:39 2012 [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by EricWI ]
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
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