Here's the response I received from my state senator when I asked him to not support the Python ban.
Dear Mr. Wit:
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about legislation to list the species Python genera as an injurious animal under the Lacey Act. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.
Between 2000 and 2009, more than 1,330 Burmese pythons were removed from Everglades National Park in Florida. These giant snakes, which can grow to more than 20 feet in length, are not indigenous to the United States and mainly enter the country through the commercial trade in pets. Often these pets grow too large for their owners to handle and they set them into the wild, where they fight for resources with native species.
During the last congressional session, legislation (S. 373) was introduced to include constrictor snakes of the species Python genera as an injurious animal under the Lacey Act. This designation would prohibit the importation and interstate transport of these reptiles without a permit issued by the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This legislation passed out of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works in December 2009, but was not signed into law before the last congressional session concluded in December 2010. Therefore, it will need to be reintroduced in the 112th Congress in order to receive further consideration. Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind should this or similar legislation be considered in the Senate.
Thank you again for contacting me.
Sincerely,
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Steve W.
