| It has been a disappointing legislative session for animal protection in North Carolina. Neither Chamberlin’s Law and the Cockfighting bill made it to a vote. You have to wonder why with the previous success of Susie’s Law last legislative session that was voted for unanimously. The budget has been cited as perhaps a factor,no time for animal bills. But there were numerous bills that were passed that were of minimal importance. A more compelling answer is activist legislators that are obstructing the passage of animal legislation. The sad fact is that if a legislator wants to stand in the way of a bill passage,he/she can. This practice was exposed the last time the puppy mill bill was sunk by the efforts of Representative Wainwright (representing Craven and Lenoir counties). The Cockfighting bill was obstructed by Representative Mitch Gillespie (representing Burke,McDowell Counties) and Representative Roger West (representing Cherokee,Clay,Graham,Macon counties). For whatever reason they sought to kill the bill and asked Speaker Thom Tillis to hold the bill so that it could not be voted on.
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| Likewise Chamberlin’s Law was the victim of two anti-animal legislators,House Representative Paul Stam (representing Wake County) and Senator Phil Berger (representing Guilford,Rockingham). Senator Phil Berger’s opposition is especially galling because Susie’s Law originated in Guilford County. Representative Stam,the House Majority Leader,would not allow the bill to be heard in committee since he was told the Senate would not pass the bill. Sen. Berger said the bill would not pass the Senate as too many of the Senators were opposed to the bill due to objections from outside groups. I guess one of those “outside groups”was not the the citizens of North Carolina that wanted Chamberlin’s Law to pass.
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