Your assistance is needed immediately

Your assistance is needed immediately. Please voice your opposition to:

· HB 884, Sponsored by Del.C. Athey

· HB1056, Sponsored by Del. W. Armstrong

· HB1143, Sponsored by Del. J. Scott

You may also choose to ask your hunt members to participate. The language contained in these Bills would permit any employee or member of the controversial animal rights group, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, (PETA) Humane Society of the United States, (HSUS) to obtain law enforcement and investigative powers over sportsmen, farmers and any animal owner in Virginia. These people could interfere with lawful commerce; disrupt hunting activities, horse shows and sales, working dog trials, field trials, horse racing, or any equestrian competition. Landowners could be affected by these bills because under the Open Fields Doctrine, any law enforcement officer may come onto private land, without a warrant, to check licenses, etc. Once a law enforcement officer enters onto private land - they can go on fishing expeditions with no warrant required.

HB 884 is particularly critical because of timing. We have discovered that HB 884 went to the House Agriculture Sub-Committee docket, Monday, Jan. 25^th. A list of House Agriculture Members is included at the bottom of this alert for your convenience. Please send an email today to the House Committee Members and copy your Delegate. If you need assistance, find your own delegate at: http://conview.state.va.us/whosmy.nsf/main?openform

Listed below are some talking points and you may want to review the summary already sent to you. Additionally, you may also review the entire text of the Bill at: http://leg1.state.va.us/, Virginia Legislative Information Services. Follow the progress of Bills and Resolutions on this site as well.

Please create your own, polite and respectful email. You may refer to any of the reasons listed below, and include your own thoughts. Please make your emails short.

Why these bills are so dangerous:

The Bills create an unlimited number of state funded, political activist law enforcement officers with no oversight, control, training, knowledge or experience.
The Bills open the door to special interest groups demanding the same law enforcement powers to enforce their own policy and implement their own agenda.
The Bills would divert budgetary resources from paid, trained law enforcement officers and would redeploy officers from crime prevention and enforcement to animal control functions.
The Bills expose law enforcement agencies to accusations of harassment, intimidation, civil rights violations, and violations of citizen due process. The intent is for political activists to be able to target activities they want to see banned.
The Bills would permit PETA or other Animal Rights vigilante type groups armed with badges and nightsticks, demanding entrance to private homes and land, show grounds, harassing farmers and intimidating animal owners.

Write to these people (sample letter at the bottom)

House Agricultural Committee Members

During Session please send to: The Honorable________, Salutation: Dear Mr., Ms., or Mrs. ________

Delegate Harvey B. Morgan, Chair. (R - House District 98)DelHMorgan@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Richard P. Bell (R - House District 20) DelDBell@house.virginia.gov

Delegate David L. Bulova (D - House District 37) DelDBulova@house.virginia.gov

Delegate M. Kirkland Cox (R - House District 66) DelKCox@house.virginia.gov

Delegate James E. Edmunds (R - House District 60) DelJEdmunds@house.virginia.gov

Delegate David L. Englin (D - House District 45) DelDEnglin@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Matthew James (D - House District 80) DelMJames@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Barry D. Knight (R - House District 81) DelBKnight@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Lynwood W. Lewis (D - House District 100) DelLLewis@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Matthew J. Lohr (R - House District 26) DelMLohr@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Daniel W. Marshall (R - House District 14) DelDMarshall@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Robert D. Orrock (R - House District 54) DelBOrrock@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Kenneth R. Plum (D - House District 36) DelKPlum@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Brenda L. Pogge (R - House District 96) DelBPogge@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Charles O. Poindexter (R - House District 9) DelCPoindexter@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Edward T. Scott (R - House District 30) DelEScott@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Beverly J. Sherwood (R - House District 29) DelBSherwood@house.virginia.gov

Delegate James M. Shuler (D - House District 12) DelJShuler@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Mark D. Sickles (D - House District 43) DelMSickles@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Luke E. Torian (D - House District 52) DelLTorian@house.virginia.gov

Delegate R. Lee Ware (R - House District 65) DelLWare@house.virginia.gov

Delegate Thomas C. Wright (R - House District 61) DelTWright@house.virginia.gov