Dog Fighting Bill Passes House Overwhelmingly
Changes may still need to be made to the language once bill moves over to the Senate, but passage through the House is another big hurdle cleared
By Jon Dunn, Best Friends Animal SocietyIn a 165-6 vote, Georgia’s House of Representatives agreed that dog fighting does not have safe harbor in their state. H.B. 301 has moved swiftly since the session began, first passing the house committee, then through the rules committee, and then almost before anyone noticed the bill hit the floor and was voted on and passed!
This version is still the H.B. 301 that has been sponsored by Rep. Bobby Reese (R-Sugar Hill). For those that choose to watch a dog fight, and are caught, this bill would not charge them with a felony but instead a high and aggravated misdemeanor. While this is not the desire of many, most seem to be accepting of the bill’s language in terms of the spectatorship. A couple of other provisions may need to be re-worked, and Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) says he will work with his colleagues on those changes.
So who voted against the bill? Rep. David Lucas (D-Macon) was one of the six who decided that stronger dog fighting laws were not necessary. He claimed that the activity of dog fighting is so deep rooted in many black communities that the proposed penalties would just be excessive. "We've got over 60,000 people in the corrections system now," Lucas said. "I think we take things too far sometimes."
Thankfully the majority of lawmakers did not vote like Rep. Lucas and the bill is now in the hands of the Senate. If all goes well, the Governor’s signature could make the penalties fit the crime before spring.
The six lawmakers who voted no on the bill are as follows:
Alisha Morgan, 39th District
Bobby Franklin, 43rd District
Gloria Frazier, 123rd District
Barry Loudermilk, 14th District
David Lucas, 139th District
Georganna Sinkfield, 60th DistrictHOW YOU CAN HELP
Join this campaign! Staying in touch with the latest developments is an enormous part of this campaign. Politics changes everyday so please stay informed by joining the Network
by clicking here! Once you are a member, please join this community by clicking on the, “join this community” link on the right side of the page. You can choose to be alerted any time a new story is posted. That is the best way to stay informed!
Sign the Petition!For those of you in GEORGIA ONLY, please take the time to
sign our petition. The results will be delivered to lawmakers. Showing a strong amount of support is the best way to let lawmakers know how important this bill is. Again, we ask that
only residents of Georgia sign this petition please.
Contact your lawmakers!Please make sure you contact your Georgia lawmakers. Letting them know that there are people in their respective districts that support the legislation is the best way to let them know that they need to vote for the bill!
Please use the
following link to find out who your lawmakers are (use the zip +4 search box on the left), and then look under the resources tab above to find a sample letter that you are more than welcome to use as a template. Again, a show of force is so important in a political campaign, so make sure to tell your friends to e-mail their representatives too!