Friday, March 14, 2014

House Bill No. 288

UPDATE:

This post was originally posted approximately a year ago and Titled Louisiana House Bill No. 958. Once again-the same type of bill has been proposed-this time it's House Bill No. 288 being proposed by Representative Major Thibaut. For the sake of streamlining the process of equipping  hunters to speak up for their rights-I'm simply going to replace last years details with updated information. Since they're trying to pull the same type of nonsense law out of their valuable public service skills-this will be very easy. The only information changing will be the above mentioned  name on the bill proposal and I will fill in dates as I learn them! Now it's y'all's turn.....let's get busy with the phone calls and emails! Happy hunting....and advocating for your rights!...Jennifer


LOUISIANA HOUSE BILL NO. 288



A week ago I posted an article.  Its reach was pretty far.  Its content seemed to serve as a voice for a large number of hog hunters like myself, my husband, and so many of our friends.  If you're unfamiliar with this article you can GO HERE to read it. 

There were many of YOU, just like us...
Ready to stand up for what we believe in to protect our rights as hog hunters and dog owners.
There's a time to speak up for these things and one of those times is NOW.

This past week many of you were made aware of a law being proposed in our state of Louisiana.   A law that will prohibit the transport of 'live feral hogs'.

Now, I am fairly educated.  But I will be the first to admit that I didn't pay that much attention when it came to 'government'.  Since I spend my days raising & teaching our kids, taking care of pups, and hunting with my husband-I'm not exactly a walking resource on the 'law making' process in Louisiana-or anywhere to be more exact.   I don't think I'm the only one. 

So, I've done my homework.  I've made the phone calls.  And I've come up with what I hope will serve as an easy guide to what's going on here.  AND to make sure WE ALL know that time is of the essence and there IS A WAY for you to make a difference.  I'll do my best to share what I've learned.
 

FIRST LET'S GET UP TO SPEED

HOUSE BILL NO. 288 by Representative Thibaut looks to prohibit the transport of live feral hogs

The bill can be found HERE.  Included are penalties that one 'shall' be subject to if the law is violated. 

A quick little graph of how the law making process works in Louisiana can be found HERE.  But basically, it's like this....

1.  A House Representative presents a proposed bill (In this case Representative Thibaut)
2.  It is referred to a specific house committee (In this case Natural Resource & Environment)
3.  That committee hears/reviews the bill and they make a report on the bill.  It is my understanding that the bill can be stopped inside the committee.  If so, it stops there.  If not, we go on to number 4.
4.  The bill gets presented/debated on the floor of the House of Representatives.
5.  The Bill is either voted for or against in the House of Representatives. If against, it can either be reconsidered or receive no further action.  If approved, it then goes on to the Louisiana Senate.
6.  From here, pretty much the same process of #'s 1-5 is repeated in the Senate.  If all gets approved, it goes on to the process to get final approval and enactment as law.

Where are we now?

The Bill has been assigned to the Natural Resource & Environment Committee.  My checking shows that it is likely to be 'reviewed' by this committee as early as (To Be Updated).  So, theoretically-the committee could approve this bill, pass it on to be voted and approved by the entire House, and move it onto the Senate possibly as early as (To Be Updated).  (Remember, this is based on my understanding of information received)  That's a lot of work and a whole lot of possible progress to be made in a very short time.  That's where we come in.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Our first and perhaps most effective approach needs to be to 'kill' this bill right where it's starting!  It would be awesome to stop it in committee.  If not there, then lets get it stopped in the House so it won't even move onto Senate.

Like I shared in the 'Hogs Dogs & Haters' article, our voices do make a difference.  What matters is that we let the people who are making these decisions and laws know how we feel about this proposed law.

HERE'S HOW

1.  Email or call your specific House Representative (CLICK HERE to find your rep)  and let them know you are AGAINST HOUSE BILL No. 288.  Share your thoughts, opinions, and reasons.
2.  Encourage your like minded friends to do the same.
3.  Email or call EVERY representative that you can on this specific committee.  Remember they will be reviewing and making a report on this bill in a (To Be Updated)!  Go HERE to find the list of Representative on this committee.  Print the list then go through and find links to each member's contact information.
4.  Encourage your like minded friends to do the same.

I don't mind sharing what I will be emailing to the representatives in this committee.  It might give you an example of how to word your own opinions:

Dear Representative_____________,

My name is ______________ and I live _______________.  I understand that house Bill No. 288 will be reviewed by your committee within                        .  This bill would have a very negative impact on the sport of Hog Hunting.  This impact is more than personal, it could also affect many businesses throughout the state that rely on this sport as the heart of their income.  Please strongly consider stopping this bill in its tracks because of the impact it will have on myself and others.  We often catch and transport live hogs for the purpose of training hunting dogs or to castrate so that down the road they can be fit to kill as food.  Please contact me if you'd like further information.  Please STOP Bill. No 288 that would prohibit the transportation of live feral hogs.

Signed,

________________



REMEMBER:  This is just a sample.  It would be great to add your own thoughts and concerns.  The more representatives on this committee that you can email and call, the better we will be heard!  And remember to contact your own representative too!

There you have it-with instructions and links as well.  I hope this helps make it easier.  PLEASE voice your opposition to this bill.  Don't think your opinion doesn't matter!  Don't wait until after a law is passed to take action.  Take charge and BE HEARD AS SOON as you can!

THANK Y'ALL and GOD BLESS!  Feel free to comment with questions or concerns.

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2 comments:

  1. When I lived in Louisiana, I transported hogs to my home. There I had a pen to feed them out for a while before butchering them. To me, it makes the meat better, plus always had fresh hogs to train young dogs with. We never did release any hogs back.

    ReplyDelete
  2. you have a great life :-)
    keep happy with your family, heheh :-)

    ReplyDelete

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