Negrete-McLeod signed on as co-author. She and Machado both supported the bill in 25 June Senate Local Gov hearing. Padilla was floor jockey. Torlakson is Levine’s bicycling buddy and heads the Appropriations Committee. AB1634 bypassed Appropriations with a 28.8 and went straight to the Senate floor despite the fact that Tom Sheehy (Department of Finance) strongly advised Torlakson that this bill is not a candidate for 28.8.

Not really certain why Alquist supported the bill. Any thoughts?

Source http://www.signonsandiego.com/.....3pets.html

“We want to make a difference. We want to make an impact,” Mancuso said. “The bill, in the end, would not have the impact we were looking for.”

“The Legislature views animal issues as frivolous,” said a disappointed Levine, D-Sherman Oaks. “It’s a serious fiscal issue. It’s a serious moral issue.”

“The bill has been granted “Reconsideration” pursuant to Senate Rule 43, which means it can be brought up for another vote next week.”

“The American Kennel Club continues to oppose Assembly Bill 1634, and encourages all California residents to contact their state Senator and urge them to vote no on the bill when it is reconsidered.”

The complete statement is on the AKC website.

“Thank you for contacting my office to express your views regarding Assembly Bill 1634 (Levine) relating to pet spaying and neutering. I appreciate hearing from you.

AB 1634 was defeated on the Senate Floor today, August 22. The bill failed by a wide margin with only five Senators voting in favor of the bill and 27 voting in opposition. As I was strongly opposed to this legislation, I spoke against the measure on the Senate Floor. A copy of my remarks can be found below.

In addition to voting against this bill on the Senate Floor, I voted against this bill in the Senate Local Government Committee on June 25. Since no Republican legislator had voted for this measure during its path through the Legislature, I had recommended that opponents focus their efforts on legislators in the Democratic majority. Clearly, that effort was successful. Not a single Republican voted in support of the legislation and we were able to limit the votes in support to only five of the Democratic Senators on the Floor.

During the presentation of the bill on the Senate Floor by Senator Alex Padilla, he made the claim that the American Kennel Club (AKC) had removed its opposition. We were quickly able to refute that claim by distributing copies of the AKC opposition statement that had been posted on the organization’s website. This information helped to persuade several Senators to vote in opposition or abstain.

My opposition to AB 1634 stems from my experience as a County Supervisor. Because every county has its own animal control policies and priorities which may differ significantly from county to county, I strongly believe that such policies should be left to local government discretion rather than dictated by the state. The County of Santa Cruz and the City of Los Angeles have approved local ordinances. I fully respect the local representatives’ decision to implement them, while also recognizing that similar ordinances may not be desirable or necessary in other areas of the state.

While AB 1634 is eligible for reconsideration, it would be surprising for another vote to be pursued given the overwhelming vote in opposition today. If you wish to track the progress of this legislation, you may access the status, votes, bill text and analyses on this and other legislation from my Senate home page at: http://www.senate.ca.gov/cox.

Again, thank you for writing.

Sincerely,

DAVE COX
Senator, First District

Attachment

AB 1634 Floor Speech
Senator Dave Cox

Mr. President and members of the Senate, today I rise in opposition to a bill that seeks a punishment without a crime.

AB 1634 takes away individual rights replacing them with government authority regarding the health and welfare of pets. AB 1634 is a one-size-fits-all solution.

This is a local government issue rather than a state issue. Each local jurisdiction should be free to set their own animal control policies reflecting the unique problems and scenarios within their jurisdiction. What works for Los Angeles County won’t work and is not needed in Modoc County.

There is no language in the bill referring to due process, leaving the bill open for interpretation by the courts. Therefore, pet owners of unspayed or unneutered pets could be issued a citation or mandatory spay/neuter of their pet without any assurance of an appeal. In Sacramento County, according to their animal control citation, it will cost anywhere from $50 to $500 just to file for an appeal without even having a guarantee of a hearing.

Members, AB 1634 misses the mark by failing to address the issue of feral cats or stray animals which are the chief source of the increased shelter population. Instead, it attempts to target responsible pet owners who choose not to alter their pets.

This is an unnecessary bill that will not work in many parts of California.

I urge a “no” vote”

Can we be halfway happy?

which has not happened either.

Neither of which has happened.