Yup! Including corn snakes!



West Virginia is DANGEROUSLY CLOSE to passing a bill (introduced by the animal rights extremist group "Born Free" that would SEVERELY limit the ability of West Virginia citizens to keep wild/exotic pets including ALL reptiles (that's right, geckos, ball pythons, bearded dragons, corn snakes, boas, etc... ALL means ALL).



*******The bill has already passed through the WV Senate, and is now being considered in the House Judiciary Committee. If it passes this committee, it goes to the House floor for a full vote. If it passes there, it goes to the Governor for his approval. THIS IS WAY TOO CLOSE TO NOT TAKE ACTION!*******



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! 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:





"I'm calling to express my opposition to SB477, the Exotic Animal Ban. I would like to urge the Senator to vote NO on SB477 when it is discussed in the Judiciary Committee and if it goes to the floor for a vote."



Judiciary Committee



Delegate Miley

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3252





Delegate Hunt

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3392





Delegate Ellem

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3394





Delegate Lane

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3275





Delegate Barker

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3149





Delegate Brown

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3106





Delegate Doyle

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3184





Delegate Ferro

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3111





Delagate Fleischauer

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3169





Delegate Frazier

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3396





Delegate Longstreth

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3124





Delegate Manchin

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3166





Delegate Mannypenny

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3139





Delegate Michael

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3340





Delegate Moore

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3189





Delegate Pino

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3170





Delegate Poore

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3248





Delegate Walker

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3135





Delegate Wells

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3287





Delegate Hamilton

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3167





Delegate Ireland

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3195





Delegate Miller

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3147





Delegate Oneal

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3164





Delegate Overington

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3148





Delegate Sobonya

Capitol Phone: (304) 340-3175









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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