Click on a topic below to "jump" directly to the respective area on this page or in the CA Update Archive. The newest items are at the top. Some of the opportunities (i.e. sending faxes, letters, and photos) may already be expired.
Not surprisingly, the Field Poll on CA ferret legalization came out negative. Asked whether they would support a ballot initiative Californians answered Yes - 38%; No - 54%; No Opinion 8%. I really don't know why Pat Wright was so surprised with these results. Californians have heard decades of misinformation from the Department of Fish and Game and Health Services about ferrets. Why should they not have a negative opinion about them? Personally I also thought the questions were not well written but I've learned to not even try to give Pat advice on anything because it is a useless exercise.
One thing Pat got right in his latest missive is that the bad news on the Field Poll does hurt our chances for a new bill-- not as catastrophic as a failed initiative but still this will most likely have some negative ramifications. And this is sad. It is sad because it is the result of someone with a lot of energy but who consistently uses it in inappropriate, harmful ways. As our lobbyist said after looking over Pat's failed lawsuit against the Department of Fish and Game, "Pat did us no favors with this lawsuit." It created bad case law that other judges and attorneys can point to in future lawsuits. It was not well thought out, it was not a good idea. Well, Pat did us no favors with the initiative or field poll either. This was a route that the experts advised against, I told Pat that, yet he went there anyway. Full speed ahead, damn the consequences.
I can tell you as someone who has represented this issue in Sacramento for over a dozen years on my own time and my own dime, there have been so many times it has been hurt by the same well meaning but thoughtless person. There is little wonder that the frustration level is high among ferret clubs in California. Part of the reason I won't lead another legislative charge is because I was very tired of seeing some of our hard work undone or damaged by another "advocate" for ferret legalization.
Pat Wright founded Ferrets Anonymous and got our first legislator for a ferret bill. These were tremendous achievements and I give Pat full credit for them. But Pat lost control of FA because he is divisive and argumentative and does not see the whole picture. He is seen as a loose canon. His initiative efforts were opposed by every CA ferret club with good reason. Clearly it would have been best for this issue if Pat had listened to others and not proceeded down this path originally.
Past legislative failures never precluded getting another bill written and finally one did get to the Governor's desk, but was vetoed. I think in the future another bill will be successful. It may take a longer hiatus now, some new faces in the legislature and a new face on the ferret front. It is my sincere hope that Pat Wright will now step away from this issue and not do it anymore harm. Good judgement is a precious commodity and one we need more of in the effort to change the law banning ferrets in California.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Carley
12 Year Volunteer Lobbyist (NOW RETIRED)
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
Next Saturday, Ferrets Anonymous Statewide organization will hold its annual Round UP in Sacramento California. At issue is whether or not Ferrets Anonymous should change its position against the ferret initiative in California. I urge you to attend this meeting if at all possible, to ensure that your voice is heard. You can find out more about the Round UP by visiting http://www.ferretsanonymous.com.
Most of you know that I vehemently oppose the initiative process for the ferret issue. Issues that touch a large number of voters and/or that have lots of money behind them, are the kinds of issues that prevail in the initiative process. As one professional told me, "If you don't have at least a million dollars for advertising, you have no business launching an initiative." The ferret issue meets none of these criteria.
You should know that we have had some success in the legislature and it would be foolish to close that door. Hundreds of bills are introduced in the legislature each session and only a small fraction make it to the Governor's desk. SB 89, authored by Senator Dede Alpert and sponsored by Californians for Ferret Legalization (CFL) made it to the Governor but was sadly vetoed. That does not mean we cannot try again. However, when the initiative fails (please read the attached document from Mike Dillon who lobbied for our issue on behalf of the California Veterinary Medical Association, CVMA), it would shut the door to future legislative efforts for years to come.
Supporters of the initiative say that because we do not currently have a bill, we should go the initiative route. That's tantamount to saying, because we don't have a parachute we should jump off this cliff. It's a non sequitur, it makes no sense. And it is dangerous to the process (again, please read Mike Dillon's attachment).
Supporters also say that because our author supports the initiative, it's a good idea. Actually not necessarily so. Senator Alpert authored the failed library bond measure that Mr Dillon refers to. Senator Alpert thought it was a good idea, but it still failed.
All of the lobbyists that worked on the previous ferret bills, Mike Dillon for the CVMA, Bob Naylor on behalf of Californians for Ferret Legalization and Kevin Pedrotti of the Pet Industries Joint Advisory Committee have all told me they believe the initiative is a very, very bad idea for the reasons that Mike outlines in his memo to me of September 22, 2006.
So, who opposes the initiative? All of the past lobbyists for the ferret bills and all of the California state-wide ferret clubs and Associations including the sponsors of the bills, Californians for Ferret Legalization (CFL), Ferrets Anonymous Statewide, West Coast Ferrets (previously Capitol City Ferret Club), Northern California Ferret Alliance (NCFA) and Golden State Ferret Society. We have all looked at the issue and the facts and have sided with the professionals (most lobbying firms have direct experience in initiatives unlike anyone at legalizeferrets.org).
Who supports the initiative? Mostly individuals, but one in particular, Pat Wright, formerly head of Ferrets Anonymous. Frankly I give a lot of credit to Pat for drive and energy. But sadly, so much of that energy is not productive or is even harmful. Pat has a history of not listening to professionals but rather will go his own way substituting his judgement for advice from lobbyists or from those closest to the issue.
My first experience with this was when Pat demonstrated outside of Assemblymember Frazee's office. Mr. Frazee had actually looked into sponsoring ferret legalization in the past but because he did not immediately respond to Pat's request for a position on the ferret bill, Pat organized a demonstration outside of his offices. The first I heard of it was during a call from our lobbyist Bob Naylor. He warned me that this was not a good thing, that Assemblymember Frazee was angered by it. I called Pat but Bob's advice to Pat fell on deaf ears. Fortunately Assemblymember Frazee supported our bill in the end regardless.
Another example of poor judgement on Pat's part was his lawsuit against the Department of Fish and Game. My father and I had previously contacted some legal firms including the Pacific Research Institute (PRI), to see about a suit that might bring relief to ferret owners. We were told that they would prefer a case at the appellate level because that is the best place to change the law and that they would also need a good case because poor cases set bad precedents. When Bob Naylor (who was the attorney and lobbyist for CFL) looked at Pat's failed lawsuit his comment was that, "Pat didn't do you any favors with this lawsuit." In other words, his failed lawsuit is now a case that other attorneys and judges can point to as supporting the ban on ferrets. This is why good law firms do not take on bad cases when they want to change the law.
Now we have the ferret initiative. Against all advice from those who organize and shepherd initiatives through the process successfully, Pat once again, substitutes his judgement for those who know better. But this time the consequences could be severe. I believe we can prevail eventually in the legislature, but not with a failed initiative in our history. I know there are folks in the ferret community who are smart enough and have enough energy, drive and, perhaps most importantly, good sense, to see a future bill through. Let's not shut that door because there will be no avenue left if we do.
Please feel free to post this where you think it will help but please do not edit without my written permission.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Carley
12 Year Volunteer Lobbyist (NOW RETIRED)
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
Sadly our bill died in the legislature yesterday due to a procedural attempt by our author to keep it alive without prior approval by the Senate leadership. It had nothing to do with the bill (the Senate leadership is NOT against this issue) but everything to do with not following procedures that would have put our bill in a more favorable light.
Our lobbyist is still trying to see if there is anything that can be done at any level to salvage this year's efforts but keep in mind that failure at the legislative level NEVER precludes another bill, NEVER shuts the door on subsequent bills or authors. What WILL close the door for years to come on ALL avenues (including efforts at the level of the Governor's office) is a FAILED INITIATIVE.
If a ferret legalization ballot initiative qualifies, make no mistake, it WILL FAIL. And it will fail for several reasons:
1) The issue DOES NOT AFFECT THE MAJORITY OF CA VOTERS.
2) We have NO advertising budget which is KEY to success as anyone knows with initiatives.
3) Without any kind of environmental study, we will have multiple groups in opposition who dropped their opposition to our bill when a study was included (Sierra Club, CA Waterfowl, Audubon Society, Governor's Office, Planning and Conservation League). All of these organizations have $$ to spend in political ads against a ferret initiative.
No legislator will introduce a ferret legalization bill on the heels of a failed initiative. No Governor will legalize ferrets after the people of California have spoken and said they do not want ferrets legalized in California. Our opponents would be delighted to see a ferret legalization initiative on the ballot because they know it will fail and it will be the end of the issue for quite some time. The initiative plays right into their hands.
A very small percentage of the bills introduced each year reach the Governor's Office. If our author had made our bill more of a priority and received prior approval for his procedural efforts with the Senate leadership, we would have again reached the Governor's desk and this was a bill he could sign. My objective in this issue has been to move the ball forward AND TO DO NO HARM to the issue. A FAILED INITIATIVE DOES SERIOUS HARM TO FERRET LEGALIZATION EFFORTS.
I'm sorry about the bill's demise and want to thank all of you who wrote to your Senators and Assemblymembers. You've done a fine job. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our lobbyist Bob Naylor and to our author Paul Koretz. It's quite a bit of work to carry a bill and Mr. Koretz did a fantastic job of presenting our bill in committee and clearly cared about it but with so many bills to carry, it just came up short sadly.
Another ferret bill will eventually succeed. In any case, we close no doors with this failure. But make no mistake, a failed initiative CLOSES ALL DOORS TO LEGALIZATION FOR DECADES.
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home
Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
Before I completely sign off from AOL (which will happen tomorrow), I wanted to send out this one last message, in case I lose some of you. I wanted to make sure you all have solid information about something you might have heard about or seen over the Internet concerning a possible ferret ballot initiative. Below are the arguments against such an initiative, which are not just my opinion but are views shared by our lobbyist, Bob Naylor and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council lobbyist, Kevin Pedrotti. Both see a failed initiative as deadly to our issue.
I urge you to continue to support AB 647 by writing to the Governor and to your State Senator, and I also urge you to not do anything to hurt future efforts to change the law in California should AB 647 fail. If this bill fails, we lose nothing but time. If the ferret initiative fails (the only reason I don't lose a lot of sleep on this issue is that the chances of making it to the ballot are pretty much nil) we do serious harm to anyone trying to change the law through the legislature-- a method that has worked in other states or even the judicial avenue. A loss would kill any efforts to change the law banning ferrets in California for the forseeable future.
If you take the time to read the information below, I think you'll see very clearly why the initiative is such a bad idea for our issue. I urge the statewide Ferrets Anonymous organization to take a strong position against supporting such a dangerous move by folks wanting to help but unaware of the consequences.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Hidden Dangers of the Initiative Process
Some folks are talking up the idea of starting a ballot initiative for ferret legalization, since the past bills have failed. I believe we should see our current bill through for several important reasons, not the least of which is that an initiative is a losing proposition for ferret legalization that could actually result in some severe and unintended consequences.
Successful initiatives are those that touch a majority of households and therefore a majority of voters. These kinds of issues also have lots of money at stake and therefore some well healed backers in the form of Political Action Committees or professional associations. Taxes and insurance are good examples the kinds of issues that ballot initiatives often address. The ferret issue isn't the kind of issue that is appropriate for the initiative process because it does not affect the majority of voters in California and there is no large money machine behind the issue. Just gathering the necessary signatures is a huge undertaking, employing paid signature collectors and costing somewhere around a million dollars. There simply aren't enough volunteer ferret supporters to be able to accomplish such a feat. But if the issue did manage to qualify, then the real nightmare would begin.
What some of our supporters may not know, is that even our friends in the legislature feel that the study in AB 647 is necessary to ensure that California's Environmental Quality Act is not threatened. Senator Sheila Khuel, chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and consistent co-author of many, if not every ferret bill, did not want to see CEQA circumvented in any way. Neither of course did the Governor as was evident in his veto message for SB 89, the first bill to reach the governor's desk in 2004. If the ferret initiative managed to qualify for the ballot, I have no doubt that when interviewed by the media, both the Governor and Senator Khuel would express concern that we are trying to go around CEQA with an initiative. Do I agree with this position? No. This issue needs no more study. But what has to concern us, is what will average Californian might think? Would they support an initiative that puts the California Environmental Quality Act in jeopardy? The answer is no.
In fact, one of my biggest objections to the ferret initiative is that no one has taken the time or spent the money to do done what any attorney with an ounce of intelligence always does-- they know the answer to a question BEFORE they ask it! There should have been a statewide poll taken, one with a positive question and one with a negative question --that way you have some inkling of what you might expect from any negative advertising. You don't just start a ballot initiative unless you know in advance what your chances of winning are, especially if the downside is so great as it is with our initiative. If we lose (which, if we qualify, we will) the door will shut tight on our efforts for a very long time.
Our fight has always suffered from lack of funds while the opposition has hundreds of thousands of dollars at their disposal. Remember who our opposition is: CA Waterfowl, Planning and Conservation League and the Department of Fish and Game. What if this coalition decided to spend some advertising dollars fighting a ferret initiative? Can you imagine a 30 second spot featuring a little girl's whose face has been disfigured by the family's pet? No doubt the "infomercial" wouldn't let viewers know that the little girl now lives with her grandmother, her mother was absent at the time of the attack, and is apparently is absent now. The father was asleep on the couch with signs of alcohol present, according to animal control officers at the scene who stated that is was his opinion that ferrets do not pose a significant risk to children unless these is a gross parental neglect. None of this would be mentioned of course. Nor would the fact that 16-18 people each year are unable to address the potential danger dogs pose because they have been killed by them.
Or maybe the Department of Fish and Game would use one of the ferrets they keep as "research" (and feed live animals to) in order to show the ferret's "natural" ability to kill live prey. Never mind the fact that these ferrets have been trained to kill and eat live prey, something no cat needs to be taught. Never mind that they prey is "delivered" to the ferret, it didn't catch it in the wild, and never mind that same ferret would be consumed by the first hungry hawk, owl, coyote or other wild animal it encounters while it's outside looking for it's dinner. So, instead of just misleading the legislature and media about ferrets, anti-ferret groups would now spread their misinformation to the public arena.
These ads would not be countered by a 30 second spot in support of ferret legalization because we don't have the money to buy the time let alone hire an ad agency to film it. As our lobbyist in Sacramento put it, "we have no business supporting an initiative if we don't have a budget for advertising." In addition, should the initiative qualify but not pass, opponents would claim that California voters don't support legalization. Ferret legalization efforts would stop dead in their tracks and no judge, or legislator would touch it because the people would have spoken. I've asked both our lobbyist, an attorney who works for a firm that handles initiatives and the PIJAC lobbyist, and both strongly agree-- a failed initiative would kill ferret legalization efforts for decades.
So, like doctors who take an oath to "do no harm," I believe we should all take a similar oath to the legalization efforts here in California. Let's work hard to keep all our viable avenues open and especially let's do no harm by slamming doors on the current or a future legislative effort here in California. Its best to recognize the political realities, much as we might not like them, rather than deal with a fantasy that in time will only reveal itself to be our worst nightmare.
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home
Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
This is a letter from a very supportive ferret enthusiast who I asked to write you all a note about why she feels the way she does about our ferret bill. Sometimes I am too close to the issue to communicate completely and sometimes there are things that the lobbyists have asked me not to pass along. But I wanted Julie to know why I was vehemently against the initiative-- no one has bothered to do a poll of Californains to see if they would even support such a ballot initiative, we have NO advertising budget and as the professionals have put it, "we have no business promoting a ballot initiative without an advertising budget"(300 million in advertising was spent on the last round of initiatives), and finally but most significantly, if the ballot initiative fails, which I believe it will, we virtually close all doors to ferret legalization for the forseeable future because the legislature and even ajudge looking at this issue will say the people of California have spoken and they don't want ferrets! Put simply and succintly the ballot initiative is a BAD idea. In any case, I wanted to let Julie know why I still support our ferret bill, as imperfect as it is. Here's what she wanted to pass along to you.
Jeanne
P.S. This is most likely the LAST message from me on this account. If you haven't already e-mailed me at: ferretnews@ferretcompany.com and asked to be added to the CA UPDATE, you will NOT get any more updates. Just so you know!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hello, my name is Julie. Like most of you, I am an ordinary California citizen who happens to adore ferrets and wants to see them legal in this state. Recently I was surprised by a phone call from Jeanne Carley, the driving force behind legislative efforts, who took the time to address many of my concerns regarding the status of the current ferret bill AB647. By the end of our conversation I was feeling much more optimistic about what the bill hopes to accomplish and about our chances for success. Jeanne asked me to write an open letter and try to express some of what makes me excited about this piece of legislation.
Those of you who have followed legalization efforts carefully probably have the same questions that I did. Why is our bill on the suspense file of the Senate Appropriations Committee, where so many of our previous bills languished and died? What makes this particular bill likely to be passed by the legislature? Will the Governor sign the bill into law, even though he vetoed our last bill in 2004? Why does the bill simply call for yet another study, and what if the Department of Fish and Game chooses to ignore the results of the studyjust as they have ignored all previous scientific evidence?
The first thing that Jeanne explained is that we have some very strong supporters in the State Legislature including our author Paul Koretz. These members very much want ferret legalization to happen and view it as a top priority. Over the years, our representatives have become well educated about ferrets. When our bills do make it to committee votes or to floor votes, they pass with an overwhelming majority. Although the support of our representatives should not be taken for granted, at this point they truly are acting as our advocates.
Our strongest friends in legalization, though, are also firmly committed to CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act. They are not willing to legalize ferrets in a way that would be seen as circumventing the requirements of CEQA. What CEQA says is that any government agency (such as the Department of Fish and Game) that wishes to take an action which they feel might possibly be detrimental to the environment (such as removing ferrets from the list of prohibited wild animals) must first conduct an initial study. Based on the results of the study the agency can either make a negative declaration, meaning that there is no possibility of environmental damage, or go on to produce a full-scale environmental impact report.
Those of us who know and understand ferrets hate the idea of another study to prove what has already been demonstrated so clearly. Jeanne herself wrote several years ago that funding an environmental study would be a waste of money, since the DF&G would just ignore anything showing ferrets in a positive light. The thing that has changed is our target audience. The requirement of a study is no longer a roadblock placed by the DF&G as a way of avoiding the issue. It is something requested of us by our friends in the legislature, who very much want to make ferrets legal but who want to do so within the framework of CEQA.
That leaves the question of the Governor and whether or not he will sign this bill after vetoing our previous bill. Governor Schwarzenegger is a bit of a mystery. He was largely silent on the issue of ferrets before his veto, not stating an opinion one way or the other and not replying to any of the letters written to him by ferret supporters. There was one very positive sign that he was attentive to the issue, though. Of the hundreds and hundreds of bills that made it to his desk, ferret legalization was one of only a few dozen featured on his web site to solicit public opinion. This was not a guarantee that he would support ferret legalization. It was an open invitation to the public to speak out in large numbers. (Unfortunately, some ferret lovers assumed that we already had his support simply because he appeared in a movie with a ferret. Because of that they may have overlooked the opportunity to make their opinion known to him.) Governor Schwarzenegger was surely torn on this issue, knowing how many Californians love ferrets but also needing to be responsive to the supposed experts at the Department of Fish and Game.
Frustrating as the Governor's veto was, it did not shut the door on legalization. In his veto message the Governor stated quite clearly that he likes ferrets and would be willing to sign a more simply worded bill that does not legalize ferrets prior to an environmental study. With AB647, we have another opportunity to communicate our feelings about ferret legalization to the Governor. This is not the time to give up on legislative efforts. This is the time to politely but clearly educate the Governor about ferrets, just as we have educated our senators and assemblymembers over the years.
If you are reading this and you love ferrets, I will ask you for one simple favor - both for me and for yourself. Write a letter to your State Senator today. AB 647 still has to pass the California State Senate or the Governor will not even have the chance to sign it Write to your State Senator TODAY. Visit http://www.ferretnews.org/legislators.html to see who represents you in the State Capitol. It is critical to our bill that you do this, otherwise it will die. Let's see this bill through!
But immediately after that letter, please write to the Governor and ask him to support AB647, the Domestic Ferret Bill. He won't know that you want them legal until you tell him. The letter doesn't need to be long or eloquent. Just a few sentences with your signature and address will suffice. Why not stick in your favorite ferret photograph for good measure? It'll put a smile on the faces of his office staff. Send it to:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Or phone 916-445-2841 or FAX to 916-445-4633. There are hundreds of thousands of ferrets living illegally in California. Wouldn't it be wonderful if he heard from thousands of ferret lovers? Then his decision would be easy.
I share your dismay that ferret legalization has dragged on for so many years. But due to the persistence and enthusiasm of ferret lovers across the state, we are now just a few steps from freedom becoming a reality. I encourage you all to stay involved and to personally express your wishes to those who are in a position to change the law.
Julie
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home
Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
I wanted to let you know that at the end of this month I will be giving up my AOL address, ferretnews@aol.com. It has become ridiculous to pay for a service that frankly has been very poor so I'm changing the CA UPDATE address to:
Please take a moment to send me an e-mail at the above address (ferretnews@ferretcompany.com) so I can add you to a new CA UPDATE addressbook. Otherwise you will not get any Updates.
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home
Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
Some have implied that our ferret legalization efforts with Assemblyman Paul Koretz' bill, AB 647, are dead. That's frankly not the case. When our bill went to the Senate Appropriations Committee, the chair, Senator Migden, told our author, Paul Koretz, that he had a two year bill, not a dead bill. And Assemblymember Koretz is very, very committed to beginning the process of correcting the injustice that criminalizes ferret owners in California.
Assemblymember Koretz wants to send AB 647to the Governor's desk for his signature. Should this bill pass, it would begin the path to legalization, a path which does include a study but it's a study that even our best friends in the legislature (such as Senator Kuehl, co-author) believe is necessary in order to not damage CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act. CEQA was also mentioned by the Governor in his veto message when he vetoed SB 55. So, much as I oppose the waste of time and money for a study of this issue, it is clearly part of the political landscape necessary to allow our issue to move ahead.
The instance upon a CEQA process, by friends and foes alike, is also one of the many reasons why the initiative process is not appropriate for this issue. Should the ferret initiative make the ballot, the press, when interviewing Senator Kuehl or the Governor about this issue, would report her concerns that the ferret initiative would circumvent CEQA thereby damaging a celebrated California Environmental Protection Act. The initiative would then be seen by the public as a threat to CEQA (we would be seen as trying to go around CEQA) rather than as an attempt to simply remove a domesticated animal from a list of wildlife.
One thing I've learned about the press is that they are very, very lazy on the ferret issue. They simply interview Fish and Game or other opponents and then ferret folks but never take the time to really look at the facts (such as Fish and Game's own very revealing study showing no feral ferrets, the United States Department of Agriculture's classification of the ferret as domesticated). In the absence of more investigative reporting what comes across is simply our word against the authorities, the experts. It's a sad but true fact of life and would easily color the outcome of any vote. And since ferret proponents have no advertising budget we could not counter any misinformation or disinformation about ferrets and the environment. There's a lot of money spent in the initiative process for issues that touch, and are known by, the majority of households such as taxes, redistricting, insurance etc. These are the kinds of issues that have a lot of money and people behind them and lend themselves to the initiative process. Ferret legalization is simply not one of them.
Both of the lobbyists most active on this issue in Sacramento, ours and the pet industry's have told me that a failed ferret initiative will stop legalization dead in it's tracks for quite some time. Both legislators and judges confronted with this issue could point to a vote by the people of California against ferret legalization as a reason to not address the issue should it come before them. None of the professionals sees the initiative process as an intelligent option, especially since we don't know in advance the answer to the question, "Would most Californians support ferret legalization?"
Backers of the ferret initiative should have spent the money (around $2,000.00 I understand) to poll Californians on this issue in advance of undertaking something that, if it fails, could slam the door shut for quite some time, perhaps forever. As any good attorney will tell you, you don't ask a question unless you know the answer. This is what proponents of the initiative process are doing, asking the question before they know the answer. And what if the answer is no? If it is, that's all the proponents will have to do is point to a no vote and say "the people of California have spoken."
I also have to remind folks that about $300 million was spent in advertising for the last round of initiatives. Even if the issue qualified for the ballot (the possibility is so remote it's the only reason I'm not losing too much sleep over this), legalization proponents would have no $$ to combat any lies told or misinformation that would sway public opinion about an animal that is known only to a small percentage of the population.
So, with all of this said, I encourage you to do two things:
1) See this bill out. Let's finish what we started. We're more than half way to the Governor's desk, having passed four of the six hurdles. AB 647 has passed the Assembly Policy Committee vote, the Assembly Appropriations Committee vote, the Assembly Floor vote and the Senate Policy Committee Vote. It has two more hurdles before the Governor's desk, the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Floor. Now is the time to write to your State Senator and ask him/her to support AB 647. I can't tell you how many people ask me when ferrets will be legalized but when I ask if they've written to their representative they tell me they have not. This will not happen just because you want it to. Your legislator is not a mind reader. You must contact them and tell them to support Mr. Koretz' bill, AB 647. Write even if you have written last year, write again, now please. You can find out who represents you by visiting our web site and clicking on Legislators-- Know your Local Representative.
http://www.ferretnews.org/legislators.html
2) Help us finish the bill out with the representation in Sacramento it needs by supporting our lobbyist Bob Naylor. Bob was Republican Assembly Whip and is now one of the most respected lobbyists in Sacramento. It's a plus that he's with a Republican lobbying firm because he has direct communication with members of the Governors staff and we want to pass a bill the Governor can sign. Limited funds last year meant we could not use Bob's help when we needed it most and I believe had we been able to afford more of his help we might have seen the Governor's veto coming.
This will be my last year working in Sacramento on this issue and Bob has given this issue a discount because he knows my family so I doubt we'll have representation of his caliber in the future. I strongly urge you to help now. Please take a moment to make out a check to:
Nielsen Merksamer
But please mail the check to me so I can forward them in a bath and the firm knows what they are for. Mail your donation to:
Jeanne Carley
410 Mountain Home Road
Woodside, CA 94062
Also, if you have any more signatures to contribute, please go ahead and send those in now.
Thanks,
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home
Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
P.S. I will be at the Ferrets Anonymous Roundup on March 25th in Pasadena if any of you are interested in attending. Details are on the Ferrets Anonymous web site, http://www.ferretsanonymous.com
[Back to Top]When Governor Davis was in office, we were able to gather 46,000 signatures petitioning him to help legalize ferrets in California. But that effort fell on deaf ears unfortunately. Still, that was a tremendous amount of signatures and I'm hoping we can do that again with this Governor who, though clearly not as helpful as we had hoped, is still more sympathetic to our cause than our previous Governor.
As most of you know, our bill is stalled in the Senate Appropriations Committee. To be able to move forward, it needs to come off of the suspense file and on to the Senate Floor. I've asked those of you in Senator Migden's district and Senator Perata's district to write to those senators and hopefully you all have done so.
Now it's time to let the Governor know how Californians fell about ferret legalization.
Make no mistake. This is NOT a ballot initiative. For those of you who do not know about that process, it takes one million dollars to gather the signatures needed to qualify. Why? Because those signatures need to be valid California voters and issues that end up on the ballot are there because there was quite a bit of money behind them, enough to pay people to collect signatures. This issue doesn't have that kind of money.
Even if we did have a benefactor, putting ferret legalization on the ballot is very, very dangerous. This isn't an issue that directly affects every voter as does insurance or taxes. Many, many people in California still don't really know what a ferret is. And what they've heard from the state isn't positive. The money to put an issue on the ballot is just a small part of the money needed to see an issue through. The rest comes in advertising which would need to be state wide and intensive. We don't have money for that either! But the opposition does! The state could easily mount a misinformation campaign that could persuade Californians to vote against a ferret initiative. If that initiative fails, it will seal the fate of ferret legalization in California for decades because legislators would look at the failed initiative and say, "Californians have spoken, they don't want ferrets." To leave this issue in the hands of the majority when we are clearly at a disadvantage in terms of financing and a fair playing field is not a good idea and can do far more harm than good.
What we need to do now is to see this bill through and ask the Governor for his help. To do that we should aim for 50,000 signatures by Feb. 1st, 2006. I think we can do that if we all work hard.
If you have a web site please download the PDF from Californians for Ferret Legalization and put it on your web site. Ask Californians to print it out and gather signatures. Make it a goal to gather at least 100 signatures. Set up a table outside a pet store, go the mall (the holidays are coming and malls will be busy), Safeway, Albertson's, movie theathers anywhere people gather. Ask friends, family members, co-workers, everyone you know to sign. We must gather enough signatures to get the Governor's attention!
Please be sure to return all signatures to me (try to fill each page if possible which will be easier for me to count) at:
Jeanne Carley
410 Mountain Home Road
Woodside, CA 94062
Thanks and a special thank you to Lili who worked hard to redesign this year's petition and put it into PDF format, Thanks LILI!!
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home
Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
Last April I was invited to speak at the International Ferret Symposium on ferret photography in St. Louis, Missouri. At that symposium, Dr. Sandra Kuzak gave a riveting report on her efforts to have the USDA draft guidelines for the health and welfare of baby ferrets (kits) in housing and shipping to bring them into line with similar guidelines for kittens and puppies. Well, her terrific efforts have paid off but only in part. Now it's up to you to do your part. The USDA is asking for public input and needs to hear from you. I received this information from the International Ferret Congress http://www.ferretcongress.org.
Remember this is not an attack on breeders or pet stores. It is simply intended to protect kits to the same degree that puppies and kittens are protected by USDA regulations. So please write or e-mail your suggestions.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In March of 2004, several ferret organizations sent a petition to the USDA requesting a revision in the requirements for housing and transport for breeding farms, dealers and research institutions already under USDA control. The proposed changes would not apply to small breeders who sell privately; rather they would apply only to farms who breed ferrets for wholesale, their distributors, and the transport they use.
A major milestone in the effort to get the USDA and APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) to adopt ferret specific regulations under the Animal Welfare Act has been achieved. The USDA has accepted this petition, and has now requested public input. They ask 3 main questions (condensed here):
1. Should specific standards be implemented for the welfare of domestic ferrets? If yes, please explain what standards you believe are needed.
2. What specific problems have dealers, exhibitors, or research facilities had with the current handling, care, treatment, and transportation standards and how would ferret-specific standards eliminate them?
3. Should there be minimum age requirements for the transportation of domestic ferrets, and, if so, what factors should be considered in determining those requirements?
The deadline for responding is October 4, 2005. It is URGENT that the USDA get a strong response from the ferret community to move forward with the development of new regulations!
For the full text of the request for input, go to http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html and click on Recent Documents. Scroll down to "Animal Welfare; Standards for Ferrets".
The IFC (International Ferret Congress) will be hosting information on the our web site, including the Notice of Petition and Request for Comments; sample letters to the USDA; and the transcript of Dr. Sandra Kudrak's presentation at the 2005 International Ferret Symposium in St. Louis this spring. Dr. Kudrak's talk provides an excellent overview of the very complex multi-year process of creating new regulations, of where we are in the process and what is yet to be done.
Remember, October 4, 2005 is the deadline to submit your letters!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Suggestions of ideas and guidelines for your letters.
Regarding the need for regulations, below are reasons we need appropriate guidlines for shipping ferrets:
Suggested regulations:
Other suggestions for your letters so they are more effective:
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home
Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
Sadly AB 647 did not make it off the suspense file last week so it's over for this year. Senator Migden did tell our author that he has a two year bill, as opposed to a dead bill, which is the case for most two year bills, but I'm afraid the outlook is not good. Essentially we have gotten our bill through the Assembly but it has stalled in the Senate. If we can't get it through the Senate by next August we will have to start all over again.
The reason our bill failed was because of the threat of the expense of an EIR (Environmental Impact Report) even though funding an EIR is not authorized if the initial study fails to eliminate ferrets from the prohibited wildlife list. (I do think the opposition is deathly afraid of this initial study because it will show that ferrets are not a problem at all). The bill also failed because the Governor has not helped out as we hoped he would.
The whole thing is so crazy that frankly I'm not sure what to do. Ferrets are a domesticated pet. Every scientific authority in the world says so including the USDA, Smithsonian Institution and International Sepcies Indexing System yet here in California they're in a list of prohibited wild animals. That alone should require that they be legalized as are all other domesticated pets. It's just icing on the cake that ferrets are far safer to people and the environment than are dogs and cats. Dogs send almost one million people to emergency rooms yearly and feral cat populations abound. Ferrets don't go feral and have a minimal impact on people-- they average a couple of pounds so it's not rocket science to know why they are safer than a 60lb dog!
Last year and this year we hoped that the Governor's office would do the right thing and help right a wrong. But they haven't and I really don't know why. Sometimes the best measure of a person (and a government) is how he (or it) treats the weak. Let's face it, ferret owners aren't exactly among the powerful politically or this issue would have been over with years ago instead of going on and on (our first legislative bill was in 1994).
Because all of the facts are in our corner, the issue will not go away and the majority of the legislature supports us. We've had landslide votes in committees and on the floor of each house in the past but there are some people in positions that apparently matter that are adamatly opposed to changing the law and the network in Sacramento is a powerful one.
The only thing I can think of to try to help our bill survive is to continue to write to the Governor and ask for his help to move this issue forward. The situation in California is not only unfair to current Californains but to anyone wanting to move or even visit here with a ferret in tow. The initial study is inexpensive for the state to do, a mere 30,000.00, peanuts. Balking at paying for that is ridiculous and has more to do with setting up a roadblock than with real economics. And requiring ferret owners to pay for a $300,000-500,000.00 EIR is absurd. That's also a roadblock since it's not going to happen.
I'm very unhappy with the Governor's lack of attention to this issue. It's so unfair and so insensitive. I'm really disillusioned with him. He campaigned on such a different platform than what his actions have been, especially with this issue. He was going to be the people's Governor. He hasn't been the people's Governor on the ferret issue, he's never heard directly from us, he's been Fish and Game's Governor so far. I hope he listens to the people which is why I still encourage you to write (politely, please).
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor's Office
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home
Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
Our bill is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee (see table below) and may languish there if you do not make your voice heard. The two key Senators to write to are the Chair of the Committe Carole Migden and the Leader of the State Senate Don Perata.
All Californians can write to the Chairwoman, Carole Migden but it is really, really important that she hear from her constituents. So if you live in Marin, Petaluma, Sonoma, Novato, San Rafael, Fairfax, Ross, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Corte Madera or the eastern half of the city of San Francisco, please write now to Senator Migden. Our bill with either live or die on August 22nd so you must be sure to contact her before August 21st.
Here's how to contact Senator Migden:
Honorable Senator Carole Migden
Chair, Appropriations Committee
State Capitol Room 2059
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel (916) 651-4003 Fax (916) 445-4722
The other very important Senator for Californians to contact is the leader of the Senate, Senator Don Perata. If you live in the cities of Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Dublin, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Livermore, Oakland, Piedmont, Richmond or San Pablo, please call or fax Senator Perata immediately. Here is how to contact Senator Perata:
Honorable Senator Don Perata
State Capitol Room 205
Sacramento, CA 95814
Tel (916) 651-4009 Fax (916) 327-1997
Senator.Perata@sen.ca.gov
E-mail is much less effective according to every lobbyist I’ve spoken with but if you’re out of time, at least e-mail again, include your name and address so Senator Perata knows you are a constituent (I did not see an e-mail address on Senator Migden's web page).
Please don’t wait for someone else to write. Our bill depends upon you!
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home
Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
AB 647 passed the Senate Natural Resources Committee by a vote of 9-0. It now goes to the Appropriations Committee. Here's how the vote went:
Ayes:
Kuehl
Margett
Aanestadv
Bowen
Dutton
Hollingsworth
Lowenthal
Migden
Romero
Not Voting or Absent:
Kehoe
Machado
Here's what the next committee looks like. I don't have time right now to get you the information on the districts that each Senator represents because I need to get this out before I upgrade my system (I'm probably going to be out of touch for a little while via e-mail). [WM Note: Click here for Senate Appropriations Committee district information]
But you can all write to the Chair, Carole Midgen of San Francisco. Here's her information:
Senator Carole Migden, Chair
Appropriations Committee
State Capitol, Room 2206
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax (916) 445-4722
Our bill will not be heard before this Committee's summer break (roughly July 15th to August 15th) so you have plenty of time to write and to find out if one of these Senators is your own.
Senate Appropriations Committee:
|
Senator Carole Migden (Chair) |
Voted Yes on AB 647 in Natural Resources |
|
Senator Samuel Aanestad (Vice-Chair) |
Voted Yes on Senate floor for SB 89 |
|
Senator Richard Alarcon |
Voted Yes on Senate floor for SB 89 |
|
Senator Elaine Alquist |
Voted Yes on Assembly Floor for AB 854 |
|
Senator Roy Ashburn |
Voted Yes on Senate floor for SB 89 |
|
Senator Jim Battin |
Voted Yes on Senate floor for SB 89 |
|
Senator Robert Dutton |
Voted Yes in Natural Resources for AB 647 |
|
Senator Martha Escutia |
Voted No on AB 363 Jan Goldsmith's bill |
|
Senator Dean Florez |
Voted No on Assembly Floor for AB 854 |
|
Senator Kevin Murray |
Voted Yes on AB 363 Jan Goldsmith's bill |
|
Senator Deborah Ortiz |
Has not voted on a ferret bill |
|
Senator Charles Poochigian |
Voted Yes on Senate floor for SB 89 |
|
Senator Gloria Romero |
Co-Authored SB 89, Voted Yes on Senate floor for SB 89, voted yes in Natural Resources for AB 647 |
Also, we really, really need your help financially with our lobbyist if we are going to be able to continue this effort and have our side heard by the Governor's Office. I simply can't tell you how important it is to have the help of a well respected Republican lobbyist like Bob Naylor. His firm is the top Republican lobbying firm in Sacramento. This is crucial with a Republican Governor yet his firm is so balanced that our past Democratic author Dede Alpert joined his firm after leaving the Senate.
And Bob has given us is services at a most economical rate. But we are out of funds and desperately need your help to make sure that we get AB 647 to the Governor's desk and that we get an honest environmental assessment of the ferret question that will result in the legalization of ferrets next year.
Please, please help get our message heard by the Governor's Office so we can finally change the law in Sacramento. I can't do this without Bob's help, and yours. I cannot afford to work on another ferret legalization bill. This is my last year. All of my time has been free so you are really getting two lobbyists for the price of one! So please help! [WM Note: Click here for more information about our lobbyist.]
Take a moment this 4th of July weekend to write a check payable to (and mail to the address shown):
Neilsen, Merksamer & Naylor
1415 L St., Suite 1200
Sacramento, CA 95814
VERY IMPORTANT: Write FOR FERRET LEGALIZATION on your check.
Or, you can write the check payable to Neilsen, Merksamer & Naylor and mail it to me and I will forward it on with a letter specifying the Ferret Legalization Account. Checks sent to me should be addressed to:
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home
Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
Just a quick note to let you know that AB 647 passed the CA State Assembly today. The vote tally was not yet final but the latest count was 63-7 with 10 members either abstaining, absent or not yet voting. The final count will be available tomorrow. You can go to: AB 647. Then scroll down to Votes and click on Assembly Floor Vote to see if your Assemblymember voted in favor. If he/she did, please send a thank you-- that's very important!
To find out the name of your State Senator, please visit our site and click on Legislators-Know Your Local CA Representative.
Please continue to write in support of the bill. If you haven't read the bill, go to our web site and click on Bill Info- Know the Bill We Want to Pass and click on Assembly Bill 647 or go straight to the CA Government Page at:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_647&sess=CUR&house=B&author=koretz.
Be sure to read the latest version and do not make assumptions about the bill until you have read it. Some folks have shared concerns that the state could stall on the study. The bill has a clear time line for the study and public hearings.
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home
Road Woodside, CA 94062
(650) 851-3750 ferretnews@ferretcompany.com
Our bill AB 647 is before the Assembly Appropriations Committee and needs to move forward or die. Please don't let this happen. The bill in its current version does NOT include an expensive environmental reveiw which would be paid for by ferret owners and reviewed by a hostile Fish and Game Commission. Instead this bill appropriates a far lesser sum and the report woud be evaluated by the Department of Natural Resources Secretary. The bill must move bfore the 25th of May so you have just one week to write. Everyone should politely write to the Chair. If your assembymbmer is on this committee, you should also write to him/her. If not PLEASE DO NOT WRITE TO SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT REPRESENT YOU!
It's your job to write to or call your respective representatives. No one else can or will do it for you. I urge you to not passively sit by watching and waiting. If you haven't written or called your State Assemblymember do it now! To find out who represents you go to the link below and enter your zip code:
http://www.ferretnews.org/legislators.html
We need everyone to polietly calls and write letters to the chair, Assemblywoman Judy Chu. Her address is below. A call or letter is by far better than an e-mail. To write to Assemblymember Chu, write to:
The Honorable Judy Chu, Chair
Assembly Appropriations Committee
State Capitol, Room 2114
Sacramento, CA 95814
Fax 916-319-2149
|
CA ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE |
|||||
|
Name |
Party - District |
Tel |
Fax |
Areas representing |
Ferret voting history (SB 89) |
|
Judy Chu, Chair |
Dem-49 |
(916) 319-2049 |
(916) 319-2149 |
Monterey Park, South El Monte, El Monte, North El
Monte, San Gabriel, Alhambra, San Marino, East San Gabriel, North San Gabriel |
Yes |
|
Sharon Runner |
Rep-36 |
(916) 319-2036 |
(916) 319-2136 |
|
Yes |
|
Karen Bass |
Dem-47 |
(916) 319-2047 |
|
|
New |
|
Patty Berg |
Dem-1 |
(916) 319-2001 |
(916) 319-2101 |
Del Norte County, |
Yes |
|
Ronald S. Calderon |
Dem-58 |
(916) 319-2058 |
|
|
Yes |
|
Bill Emmerson |
Rep-63 |
(916) 319-2063 |
(916) 319-2163 |
|
Yes in Water, Parks and Wildlife |
|
Mike Gordon |
Dem-53 |
(916) 319-2053 |
|
|
New |
|
Ray Haynes |
Rep-66 |
(916) 319-2066 |
|
|
Co-Author, AB647 |
|
Betty Karnette |
Dem-54 |
(916) 319-2054 |
|
|
Yes |
|
Johan Klehs |
Dem-18 |
(916) 319-2018 |
|
|
New |
|
Mark Leno |
Dem-13 |
(916) 319-2013 |
|
|
Yes |
|
Alan Nakanishi |
Rep-10 |
(916) 319-2010 |
|
|
Yes |
|
Joe Nation |
Dem-6 |
(916) 319-2006 |
|
|
Yes |
|
Jenny Oropeza |
Dem-55 |
(916) 319-2055 |
|
|
Yes |
|
Mark Ridley-Thomas |
Dem-48 |
(916) 319-2048 |
|
|
Yes |
|
Lori Saldaña |
Dem-76 |
(916) 319-2076 |
(916) 319-2176 |
|
Yes in Water, Parks and Wildlife |
|
Mimi Walters |
Rep-73 |
(916) 319-2073 |
|
|
New |
|
Leland Yee |
|||||