UARC News and Events >> 22 January 06

news-events at uarc.com news-events at uarc.com
Sun Jan 22 13:37:10 MST 2006 

Hi Everyone,

Here is some news of the goings on in the Utah Animal Rights Coalition. In This E-Mail:

  * Calendar of Events
  * Legislature
  * Sundance
  * In the News
  * Volunteer Models Needed

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Saturday protest.  It was cold, but worth it.  Long email this week, but please try and get through it - there's a lot of important stuff happening.

To be removed from this mailing list, follow the instructions at the bottom.


### CALENDAR OF EVENTS ###
  ( UARC lists other groups' events in our calendar as a service to the community, for solidarity with others fighting for animal liberation.  PETA, VFS, ARM and Ching Farm are not affiliated with UARC. )

Monday, 23rd (tomorrow)
------------
- 9:30 AM - University of Utah leafletting.  Meet at the Marriott library to help pass out Why Vegan? or Even If You Like Meat booklets to interested students.  Contact John (johnf at uarc.com) for more details.
- 5:30 PM - Outreach at Sundance (see below).
!! 7:00 PM !! UARC Steering meeting will be postponeds this week as many people will be going up to Sundance for outreach opportunities.  Please come to Park City with us!


Tuesday, 24th
-------------
- 8:00 AM - Legislative committee to hear HB 61 (see below).
!! 9:30 AM !! College leafletting will be postponed due to committee hearing for HB 61.
- 5:30 PM - Outreach at Sundance (see below).


Wednesday, 25th
---------------
- 1:30 PM - High school leafletting.  Meet at The Bridge to carpool to a to-be-decided High School where you will help pass out animal rights leaflets and/or CDs.  Contact Jason (jasonh at uarc.com) for more details.
- 5:30 PM - Outreach at Sundance (see below).


Thursday, 26th
--------------
- 5:30 PM - Outreach at Sundance (see below).


Friday, 27th
------------
- 5:30 PM - Outreach at Sundance (see below).


Saturday, 28th
--------------
- 12:00 Noon - VFS fur demo in Park City, meet at Evergreen at noon for carpool.
- 2:00 PM - Ching Sanctuary vegan cooking class with Jen Russell-Fenus at the Jordan Landing Wild Oats.
- 5:30 PM - Outreach at Sundance (see below).


Sunday, 29th
------------
- 5:00 PM - SOAR weekly meeting


### LEGISLATURE ###

As many of you may know, the 2006 Utah State Legislature is currently in session.  There are a few bills that we are watching, and one in particular that we need your help with:

* HB 61 - Criminal Penalty for Animal Cruelty - Wyatt, S.
  http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/htmdoc/hbillhtm/HB0061.htm

   Current Location:  House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee
  Closeness to Pass:  10%

This bill will modify the Criminal Code to make torturing an animal a felony. It requires that the convicted undergo psychological evaluation with the understanding that people who start torturing animals rarely stop there, and pose a hazard to the safety of our community.

Originally introduced in 2005 (http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2005/htmdoc/hbillhtm/hb0242.htm), the bill saw support in the House, but was not passed due to being deprioritized.  It's likely it'll see the same support this year, but we need to make sure that our representatives are going to see this passed this year and not allow it to be held off for any longer.

This bill will be read next in the House Natural Resources committee on:

  When:  Tuesday at 8 am
 Where:  Room W125, West O.
  
We'd like to encourage you to attend the committee hearing and, if so inspired, testify before the committee regarding the bill.  By showing our elected representatives overwhelming support for this bill, we can see felony animal cruelty a reality.  Also, if your elected official is on the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee, please ask them to support HB 61.  You can find a list of the members at http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/agenda/HNAE0124.ag.pdf.


* HB 95 - Individual Income Tax Contribution for Community Spay and Neuter Programs - Noel, M.
  http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2006/htmdoc/hbillhtm/HB0095.htm

   Current Location:  House Revenue and Taxation Committee 
  Closeness to Pass:  10%

This bill would create a Cat and Dog Community Spay and Neuter Program revenue account that would allow for money to be funneled to 501(c)(3) groups that operate mobile spay and neuter clinics for cats and dogs.  We should support this bill.


Some other bills that pertain to animals:

 H.B. 211  	Ure, David  	Brand Inspection Amendments
 H.B. 69  	Johnson, Bradley T.  	Utah Dairy Act Amendments
 H.B. 287  	Buttars, Craig W.  	Wildlife Damage Compensation Act Amendments


 ## Representatives ##

One of the more important parts of getting involved in the Utah Legislature is knowing who your representatives are.  To find these out, visit http://www.clerk.slco.org/elections/index.cfm and enter your street address.  Look for "STATE SENATE" and "STATE REPRESENTATIVE" - these are the people who are making decisions on your behalf in this legislative session, and they need to hear your opinion about the bills which they will be voting on.


 ## Citizens' Day at the Legislature ##

Each year, Utah Issues (utahissues.org) sponsors a citizens' day at the legislature.  UARC would like to encourage you to attend this event, as it will teach you about the legislative process and give you the opportunity to meet directly with your legislators over lunch.  It is a free event.

  When:  February 17th from 8am until 1:30pm
 Where:  Radisson Hotel, 215 W. South Temple
 RSVP

To attend, you'll need to register at http://www.altrue.net/site/poverty/section.php?id=12841 and indicate a vegetarian meal.  Please followup the registration with an email to Utah Issues indicating that you want a vegan meal instead of a vegetarian.  You may be able to do that at http://www.altrue.net/site/poverty/contactus.php.


### SUNDANCE ###

UARC will be having a nightly presence in Park City with our body screen and leafletting in front of the fur store(s).

For those that haven't yet seen, the body screen is a television worn on the chest that shows a looping video of the true story of the fur trade.  For a photo of it in action last year at the Gallivan center, see:

  http://gallery.vegcrew.net/uarc200508/P1010006

  What:  Outreach in front of fur stores
  When:  Every night from 20-January until 28-January
 Where:  Meet at The Bridge (511 W. 200 S.) at 5:30 pm to carpool to Park City.  The nightly location in Park City (as in, which store) may vary, so please get in touch with us before driving up to confirm where to meet.

If you are interested in helping with this, please contact Eric Waters (ewaters at uarc.com, 560-8238) or Sean Diener (sdiener at uarc.com, 759-9598).  We need to know who will be helping out, so please let us know rather than just showing up.  But, if it's a last minute thing, we understand, and would rather have you than not!


### IN THE NEWS ###
  For more, visit http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Animal_Rights/

Monday
------
* Bird-watchers flock to Logan wastewater plant
  http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_3406716
LOGAN - Spirits soared Saturday morning when northern Utah bird-watchers spotted tundra swans, bald eagles, gobs of gadwalls and ducks galore at an otherwise uninviting locale - Logan's sewage ponds. ...

* Human biggest threat of all Hogle's species
  http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635176684,00.html
Screens and fences, glass walls and deep trenches \u2014 guests to the zoo might think the barriers are their protection from the wild animals. But zoo security sees it differently. The most dangerous species in the zoo has proven time and time again to be the homo sapiens.
 From theft, fights, accidents and even lost kids, it's the human guests that take up the majority of security's time. And while the zoo's permanent residents have veterinary care, the animals' safety relies largely on the watchful eye of trained staff. ...

* N. valley animal shelter opening
  http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635176650,00.html
LINDON \u2014 North Utah Valley residents can get a glimpse of the new animal shelter today when the Lindon facility opens its doors to the public. A formal open house for the public will be held Tuesday morning.
  Quadrupeds at the new facility last Thursday were greatly outnumbered by those walking on two legs during an open house for local elected officials that featured just three dogs brought over to give the new North Utah Valley Animal Shelter a little eye appeal. The North Utah Valley Animal Special Service District board joined police officers and others involved in the shelter's genesis at a VIP tour. ...


Thursday
--------
* USDA ran sham probes of meat companies, stockyards
  http://www.sltrib.com/nationworld/ci_3416114
WASHINGTON - The Agriculture Department has pretended to investigate anti-competitive behavior among stockyards and meat companies since 1999 but in hundreds of cases didn't actually file complaints, a department audit found. ...

* Animal Abuse: Bill rightly seeks treatment, not just prison
  http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_3415912
If someone had caught a young Ted Bundy torturing animals, convicted him of a felony, put him in jail for 18 months and sent him away with the admonition to sin no more, is there any reason to believe he would not have gone on to become one of our nation's most infamous serial killers?
  Nope.
  But what if the same young Mr. Bundy - or Mr. Dahmer, or Mr. DeSalvo, or any of the other sociopaths claimed by the Humane Society of Utah to have honed their murderous skills on helpless animals before going on to people - had been forced into psychological treatment? ...


Saturday
--------
* South valley animal shelter waives fees for rescue groups
  http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,635177993,00.html
SPANISH FORK \u2014 Nonprofit groups helping animals get healthy, find homes and avoid euthanasia got a little help this week from the South Utah Valley Animal Special Service District.
  The district's board of directors voted unanimously Thursday to temporarily waive fees charged to rescue groups \u2014 $10 per dog and $5 per cat. A subcommittee will discuss making the change permanent. ...


### VOLUNTEER MODELS NEEDED ###

UARC will be starting up an online store to sell our shirts and buttons on the internet.  We'd like to take photos of our shirts on people, and would like to find volunteer models, one male and one female, to model our underware, shirts, and a few buttons.  In exchange for modeling, you will receive a free T-shirt of your choice.  Please contact Katie (katiep at uarc.com) if you are interested in helping.


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That's it for this week.  Thanks for reading!

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