Action needed to support animal cruelty bill today!

[news-events at uarc.com]

Dear friend,

The House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee will be
meeting today, Thursday February 10th at 4:00 PM for their biweekly committee
meeting.  They have on their agenda House Bill 242, "Criminal Penalty for
Animal Cruelty" (bill text linked below).  This bill would enhance the criminal
penalties associated with cruelty to animals up to a Third Degree Felony (where
it currently carries only a Class A Misdemeanor).  The bill would also cause
increased penalities to apply in cases where the cruelty occurred in the
presence of a minor.

While the bill excludes animals from agriculture, it makes great improvements
to the treatment of domestic animal cruelty in our society.  The Utah Animal
Rights Coalition supports this bill, and needs your help.

If you have time at 4:00 PM, please go to the capitol hill complex, room W125
in the West Office Building, and attend the hearing.  The public are welcome
at these hearings, and it's important that we attend so that a) we can bear
testimony at the end of the meeting (if necessary) to explain why we feel this
bill should pass, and b) to merey show support.

Even if you don't have time today, you can still support the bill!  If your
Representative is on the committee, call them, email them or request to see 
them (on the hill) and let them know how you feel about the bill.  Representatives
value your input in their job, as they are up on the hill representing you and
the other constituents who live in their district.

To find out who your representatives are, visit:

  http://www.clerk.slco.org/Elections/Elected
  (In this context, look for "STATE REPRESENTATIVE   District **")

If one of the following committee members is your representative, it is vital
that you contact them before the meeting and let them know your support of HB
242.

                        Rep. Roger E. Barrus, Chair
                      Rep. Michael E. Noel, Vice Chair

Rep. Jackie Biskupski  Rep. Carl W. Duckworth          Rep. David Ure
Rep. Craig W. Buttars  Rep. James R. Gowans            Rep. Mark W. Walker
Rep. David N. Cox      Rep. Bradley T. Johnson         Rep. Mark A. Wheatley
Rep. Margaret Dayton   Rep. John G. Mathis             Rep. Richard W. Wheeler
                       Rep. Patrick Painter


The full text of the bill can be found at:

  http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2005/htmdoc/hbillhtm/HB0242.htm

The committee schedule can be found at:

  http://www.le.state.ut.us/asp/billsintro/committeebills.asp?com=HSTNAE

Thank you,

Eric Waters
UARC Legislative Committee Member