Editor: In Pennsylvania thousands of coyotes and other wildlife are tortured in gruesome, merciless killing contests just for thrills and prizes and most of their fur are used as hood
Center for Biological Diversity: NEW YORK A federal court in New York on Friday upheld the state’s ban on sales and in-store displays of elephant and mammoth ivory and rhino horn rejecting claims that the ban was unconstitutional. The Art and Antique Dealers League of America and the National Antique and Art Dealers Association of America challenged the law in 2018.
Apparently the GOP-controlled Iowa Legislature didn’t get the memo.
Members of the majority party now embrace big, meddling government. They excel at stripping decision-making authority from cities, counties and even private practitioners and businesses. Their obsession with micromanaging others is particularly egregious this legislative session.
Among what they are trying to do:
Ban traffic cameras
Local traffic ordinances are enforced by local law enforcement. Yet Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, wants to strip from police an enforcement option. He has sponsored, again, a bill prohibiting the use of most traffic cameras and ordering the removal of most existing ones. Senate Study Bill 1176 is opposed by police chiefs who told lawmakers the cameras reduce speeding and accidents. Cameras also generate revenue for law enforcement, meaning Zaun’s bill would literally defund cops.
State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) has introduced legislation to prohibit the use of dogs and cats for toxicity testing for products such as pesticides, food, and drugs. This bill exempts the testing of pet products and biomedical products. Dogs and cats should not be subjected to unnecessary and inhumane toxicity testing that doesn t have useful health outcomes, Wiener, a gay man, said in a news release. We should make sure that if testing is done on dogs and cats, that it is humane and has an actual medical value. Animals deserve better treatment and should not be subjected to harmful testing simply because they can t say no.
The gray wolf lost Endangered Species Act protections last year, prompting a recent hunt that killed at least 216 wolves far exceeding a quota set by state wildlife officials.