It is true that you can't put exact numbers to their questions. The hobbyists, breeders, manufacturers, shops, etc, will each have to tell their own story about how it affects them and their own local area.

So you can just tell what you know, and also your opinion. If there are several shops in your area that sell boids and supplies for them, you can say "4 shops in my city use approx. 15% of their space (or whatever it is) to sell boas, pythons, and supplies for them. If this revenue is cut off, it will obviously result in lost sales and possibly staff layoffs. And I am a hobbyist only, but spend $XXX on feed, supplies, etc, for my boids. That will all be lost sales to various businesses. Multiply that by all of the other keepers across the US". Or that type of info. And of course, you can give your opinion of how many states are likely to support tropical species, and the fact that Florida has already written laws regarding this, as can every other state so inclined. Point up the risk vs benefit - why should everyone in all of the cold states give up their income or passion so that a couple of states can avoid making their own state laws to deal with it, if they think it is a problem? This should be a state issue, not a Federal issue.

It is fine to tell them the same thing a bunch of other people will say. If they hear it often enough, maybe they will believe it!

In the end, they will tally up "for" and "against" letters(they have done that previously), and then they will enter that into the mix of other risk vs. benefit info they get from all sources. So don't be shy - write whatever you know, and if it is just opinion, you can tell them that too. Just don't try to disguise it as fact.

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