From the SCI Blog

The following bills are up for final dispensation on the Senate and Assembly Floors. It is critical that you contact your elected officials, both assemblyman and senator, and ask them to oppose these ill-conceived legislative proposals. The bills could be voted on any day they’re in session, beginning Monday, August 20th, through Friday, August 31st.

If these bills pass the legislature, they will go to the Governor who has until September 30th to take action.

ANTI-HUNTING BILLS

SB 1487 Iconic African Species Protection Act is authored by Senator Henry Stern (D-Canoga Park). Reasons to oppose:

* Importation into California of specified species (and parts) of game animals lawfully taken in African countries would be banned.

* A number of the species listed under Senate Bill 1487, including hyena, hippopotamus, plains zebra and giraffe, are neither listed on the Endangered Species Act nor listed as an Appendix I species on CITES.

* For species listed on the ESA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service already determines when their importation (and possession) in the United States benefits the conservation of the species. California, which has no expertise in these matters, should not second-guess the FWS.

* Should this legislation become law, African wildlife and the rural communities will lose a vital stream of funding for both conservation of wildlife and support for the local communities. Additionally, without the money brought in by hunters, the range countries and professional hunting guides will lose funds for on-the-ground anti-poaching efforts.

* There is no valid scientific reason to ban their importation.

* Species and parts already here could be kept, but only under rigid and unreasonable standards of proof of possession prior to 1/1/19 or if expressly authorized by the federal Endangered Species Act.

* The fines proposed are excessive ($5 – $40,000/violation) for a species that can be possessed legally outside of California.

* Would pay informants of violations $500 from the Fish and Game Preservation Fund (funded by hunters).

* The Department of Finance has weighed in on this bill and is opposed. It states that according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife, SB 1487 will require $3 million in General Fund expenditures for 12 positions in 2019-20 and ±$2.8 million in General Fund expenditures each following year.

Contact your Assemblymember and ask him/her to oppose SB 1487.

AB 2805 Wild pigs: validations, authored by Assemblyman Frank Bigelow (R- O’Neals), would allow property owners to destroy and waste wild pig populations throughout the state! Reasons to oppose:

* The wild pig would lose its game mammal status and be reclassified as an “exotic game mammal.” As a result, it would lose protections from over harvesting and excessive methods of take that are in place for game mammals.

* Wild pigs would be managed inadequately as no-one except sportsmen would have to report the taking of a wild pig, thus denying the department the information on the pig kill that it needs to do a competent management plan.

* Landowners would not only be exempt from reporting, but they would also be able to kill wild pigs and let them go to waste.

* The Department of Finance has weighed in on this bill and is opposed. It states that the Department of Fish and Wildlife indicates this bill will result in a ±$400,000 reduction of revenue annually to the Big Game Management Account, already suffering a structural imbalance with expenditures exceeding revenues. In addition, the bill will cost ±$50,000 to update the Automated License Data System and existing regulations.

Contact your Senator and ask him/her to oppose AB 2805.

ANTI-GUN OWNERSHIP BILLS

SB 1100 (Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge) Firearms: age restrictions would raise the minimum age for the purchase a rifle or shotgun to 21.

SB 1177 (Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge) Firearms: transfers would, with few exceptions, limit the purchase of any firearm, including rifles and shotguns, by an individual to one per month.

These two bills:

* Fail to focus on the real problem causing most mass homicides and other crimes involving the use of a firearm: criminals and the mentally ill.

* Criminals and the mentally ill will always be able to obtain firearms through unlawful sources without going through a licensed firearms dealer. These bills will not prevent it.

* There is no evidence that such an age limit or a limit on gun purchases to one per month would have an impact on the criminal misuse of firearms.

* All too often, government agencies and other authorities who have been notified of persons who it is believed would commit such crimes fail to act. The focus should be on these agencies, authorities, and persons, not on lawful individuals.

Individuals who have reached the age of 18 are adults under state and federal law. Their constitutional rights, including their Second Amendment firearms rights, are fully vested.

Contact your Assemblymember and ask him/her to oppose SB 1100 and SB 1177.

ALL OF THESE BILLS WILL BE HEARD BY AUGUST 31st, THE LAST DAY OF THE 2018 LEGISLATION SESSION.

It is VERY IMPORTANT that you contact your legislators now to express your opposition to these bills. We have received over 300 phone calls to date, but we need to redouble our efforts to stop these bills!

Use SCI’s Action Center for information on contacting your elected officials.

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