Georgia Department of Agriculture reminds shelters that Grace's Law goes into effect aon December 31, 2010
The Georgia Department of Agriculture has sent a letter to all GA shelters reminding them of the upcoming gas chamber ban and of the mandatory microchip scanning law.
Georgia Voters For Animal Welfare Urges You to Vote for Gary Black for Agriculture Commissioner
The GVAW believes that Gary Black is the best hope for improving the lot of companion animals in Georgia. If elected, he will enforce existing laws and his Advisory Committee will include animal welfare advocates committed to much-needed improvements in the state's animal sheltering system.
Vote Gary Black
Posters in Support of Tom Knox for Insurance Commissioner Available
Primaries are next Tuseday, July 20. Please distribute these posters by email, on Facebook, etc. Tom Knox saw Grace's Law through to passage. Let's thank him by voting for him in the Republican primary.
Click here to download a pdf of the poster.
Primaries are July 20!
Georgia Voters,
Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare respectfully requests your support by casting your vote in the July 20th primary for the following 2 candidates who have demonstrated & expressed their commitment to animal advocacy and welfare:
Georgia Insurance Commissioner – Tom Knox (Republican***)
. Sponsor of Grace’s Law, formerly House Bill 788 – permanently eliminates carbon monoxide gas chambers as a method to euthanize cats and dogs in Georgia animal shelters effective 12/31/2010.
. Retired (2010 term) after 10 years of service in the Georgia House of Representatives.
. 10 years as a member of the House Insurance Committee.
. 6 of the 10 years as Chairman of House Insurance Committee.
. www.knox2010.com
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner – Gary Black (Republican***)
. Promises to enforce the animal protection laws in existence.
. Desires to establish a committee within the Department of Agriculture to include animal welfare advocates.
. www.votegaryblack.com
If you are NOT a registered voter, DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE is June 21st!!!! For more information to register, go to:
http://sos.georgia.gov/elections/how_to_register.htm
If you are undecided, we ask you to consider casting your vote for these candidates for the benefit of the animals. THESE CANDIDATES NEED YOUR VOTE. ***(If you are a Democrat, you may register as a Republican for the July 20th primary to vote for these candidates then vote Democrat in the general election in November, if you choose).
Respectfully,
Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare
Update June 7, 2010
On May 20, Governor Perdue signed Grace's Law--Act 386. A signing ceremony attended by members of the GVAW 'Grace's Law Team' and by Grace herself was held at Governor Perdue's office on Friday June 4, 2010. It is officially official. Gassing will end in Georgia as of December 31,2010. Read about the ceremonyhere.
Update April 29, 2010
Today, on the last day of the 2010 legislative session, HB 788, a bill to ban gas chambers in Georgia PASSED!!!!!!
Today H.B. 788 was amended and voted on to change the effective date to end the use of gas chambers to euthanize cats and dogs in shelters to be effective December 31, 2010. The General Assembly, including both the Georgia House of Representatives and Senate, passed by majority vote to END THE USE OF GAS CHAMBERS PERMANENTLY IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF GEORGIA!!!!!
The bill now goes to Governor Sonny Perdue to be signed into law.
We express our sincere gratitude to Representative Thomas (Tom) Knox, HB 788 bill sponsor, and Mr. Terry Hobbs, our lobbyist, whose dedication, commitment, and hard work enabled this to happen.
To all of the Georgia Voters whose voices were heard on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves, thank you for your support! Please remember to thank your Representative and Senator if they supported this bill.
Gratefully,
Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare
Additional details here.
Update, April 22, 2010
H.B. 788, a bill to ban gas chambers used to euthanize cats and dogs in shelters, passed yesterday in the Georgia Senate by a majority vote of 39-8.
This victory is bitter sweet because an amendment was added to delay this ban taking effect until 1/1/2013.
H.B. 788 must return to the Georgia House of Representatives to vote on the amended bill. Additional amendments that were added in the Senate committee hearing approximately a week ago include returning heart stick as a method of euthanasia that was proposed in the bill to be eliminated. A condition was included for the heart stick method that the dog or cat must be unconscious prior to using this method.
If passed in the Georgia House of Representatives, it will go to the Governor’s office for his signature to be made a law.
Stay tuned for continuing developments regarding the final passage of this bill.
Respectfully,
Holly Cohen
Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare
Details regarding what you can do now are here.
April 20, 2010
Breaking News!
Grace’s Law, House Bill 788, will be debated/presented in the Georgia Senate tomorrow to be voted on by the full Senate.
PLEASE CALL YOUR SENATOR’S OFFICE, TELL THE PERSON WHO ANSWERS THE PHONE THAT YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT OF SENATOR __________, ASK THEM TO VOTE YES FOR H.B. 788. Also, please make sure to thank them for their support.
If you have already contacted your senator in the past few days, you can disregard this message.
To locate your Senator:
1. Go to www.legis.ga.gov
2. Click “Find Your Legislator” under the picture of the Capitol
3. Click “Vote-Smart”
4. On the left, under the box “Find Your Representative” type in your zip code, click GO
5. If you do not know your +4 ZIP, on the right side of this screen click “Don’t know your 9 digit zip” follow the instructions then go back to legislative site and type it in under “Find Your Representative” click GO
6. Under “State Legislative” click your Senator’s name in blue
7. On the next screen, to the right and bottom, click “Complete Contact Info”
For more information, click here.
April 2, 2010
We are pleased to announce that this bill was passed in committee by the Senate Regulated Industries & Utilities Committee yesterday.
Here is what we need you to do now:
1. IF YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT OF A SENATE RULES COMMITTEE MEMBER, please call your Senator and ask him/her to vote YES to schedule this bill for presentation on the Senate floor.
2. ALL OTHER GEORGIA VOTERS, please call your Senator and ask him/her to vote YES for H.B. 788 – a bill to ban gas chambers in Georgia when this bill is presented on the Senate floor.
To locate your Senator:
1. Go to www.legis.ga.gov
2. Click “Find Your Legislator” under the picture of the Capitol
3. Click “Vote-Smart”
4. On the left, under the box “Find Your Representative” type in your zip code, click GO
5. If you do not know your +4 ZIP, on the right side of this screen click “Don’t know your 9 digit zip” follow the instructions then go back to legislative site and type it in under “Find Your Representative” click GO
6. Under “State Legislative” click your Senator’s name in blue
7. On the next screen, to the right and bottom, click “Complete Contact Info”
Senate Rule Committee Members
Balfour, Don (R-SS 09) | Chairman |
Hamrick, Bill (R-SS 30) | Vice Chairman |
Seabaugh, Mitch (R-SS 28) | Secretary |
Butler, Gloria S. (D-SS 55) | Member |
Hill, Jack (R-SS 04) | Member |
Hooks, George (D-SS 14) | Member |
Moody, Dan (R-SS 56) | Member |
Mullis, Jeff (R-SS 53) | Member |
Pearson, Chip (R-SS 51) | Member |
Rogers, Chip (R-SS 21) | Ex-Officio |
Shafer, David (R-SS 48) | Ex-Officio |
Smith, Preston W. (R-SS 52) | Member |
Tate, Horacena (D-SS 38) | Ex-Officio |
Thomas, Don (R-SS 54) | Member |
Tolleson, Ross (R-SS 20) | Member |
Unterman, Renee S (R-SS 45) | Ex-Officio |
Williams, Tommie (R-SS 19) | Member |
Thank you for your continued support!!!
Holly Cohen
Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare
Article here.
March 31, 2010
H.B. 788, Grace's Law , is scheduled to be heard by the Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee of the Georgia Senate on April 1, 2010. It will be presented by Representative Knox, who sponsored the bill in its successful passage through the House. The bill's sponsor in the Senate is Senator Renee Unterman, a member of the RIU committee.
All Georgians who are constituents of members of the RIU committee should call their Senator immediately and ask that H.B. 788 be passed favorably as written out of committee and on to the full Senate for a vote. All other Georgia voters should call their Senator and ask that they vote 'yes' on Grace's Law, H.B. 788. For details and instructions for determining who your Senator is and whether they are on the RIU committee, click here.
March 17, 2010
H.B. 788 passed by an overwhelming majority yesterday in the House of Representatives!!!!! Your voices were heard speaking on behalf of the animals.
This bill now moves to the Senate and has been assigned to Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee.
1. ONLY IF YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT OF A MEMBER IN THE REGULATED INDUSTRIES AND UTILITIES COMMITTEE, please call your Senator and politely ask that they pass this bill as it is written favorably from this committee.
2. ALL OTHER GEORGIA VOTERS, PLEASE WRITE, FAX OR CALL YOUR SENATOR (please, do not email) AND RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR A YES VOTE for H.B. 788 when it goes to the Senate floor for a vote.
To find your Senator, follow these instructions:
1. Go to www.legis.ga.gov
2. Click “Find Your Legislator” under the picture of the Capitol
3. Click “Vote-Smart”
4. On the left, under the box “Find Your Representative” type in your zip code, click GO
5. If you do not know your +4 ZIP, on the right side of this screen click “Don’t know your 9 digit zip” follow the instructions then go back to legislative site and type it in under “Find Your Representative” click GO
6. Under “State Legislative” click your Senator’s name in blue
7. On the next screen, to the right and bottom, click “Complete Contact Info”
Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee Members: Shafer, David (R-SS 48) | Chairman | Unterman, Renee S (R-SS 45) | Vice Chairman | Harbison, Ed (D-SS 15) | Secretary | Butler, Gloria S. (D-SS 55) | Member | Carter, Earl "Buddy" (R-SS 01) | Member | Henson, Steve (D-SS 41) | Member | Hill, Jack (R-SS 04) | Member | Moody, Dan (R-SS 56) | Ex-Officio | Murphy, Jack (R-SS 27) | Ex-Officio | Seabaugh, Mitch (R-SS 28) | Member | Stoner, Doug (D-SS 06) | Member | Tolleson, Ross (R-SS 20) | Ex-Officio | Williams, Tommie (R-SS 19) | Member |
|
· |
Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee Office:
421-F State Capitol
Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone: (404) 656-0048
Fax: (404) 651-6768
For the animals,
Holly Cohen
Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare
See latest article.
Watch Grace and family's thank-you video here.
March 12, 2010
Breaking News!
Grace's Law urgently needs your support!
GREAT NEWS!!!!!!
Yesterday H.B. 788 was presented for consideration in the Rules Committee and was passed by an overwhelming majority.
A very special thank you to our sponsor, Representative Thomas P. Knox and our lobbyist, Terry Hobbs.
H.B. 788 will be presented for debate in the entire House of Representatives to vote on this bill on Tuesday, March 16th.
We are asking for your continued support to call or mail a short note to YOUR legislator in the House of Representatives (if you have not done so already) and ask others to do the same. DO NOT EMAIL your Representative because they do not have time to read these. YOU ONLY HAVE TODAY AND MONDAY TO DO THIS BEFORE THIS BILL IS PRESENTED FOR A VOTE IN THE GEORGIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Please say the following:
1. You are a constituent in their district
2. Please give your address if you are comfortable doing so
3. You are asking your Representative to vote YES for H.B. 788
For more information, you may view the article http://www.examiner.com/x-35783-Atlanta-Animal-Welfare-Examiner~y2010m3d12-Graces-Law-HB-788-passes-Rules-Committee-needs-voter-support-as-it-goes-before-the-full-House
Instructions listed below how to find your Representative:
1. Go to www.legis.ga.gov
2. Click “Find Your Legislator”under the picture of the Capitol
3. Click “Vote-Smart”
4. On the left, under the box “Find Your Representative” type in your zip code, click GO
5. If you do not know your +4 ZIP, on the right side of this screen click “Don’t know your 9 digit zip” follow the instructions then go back to
Legislative site and type it in under “Find Your Representative” click GO
6. Under “State Legislative” click your Representative name in blue
7. On the next screen, to the right and bottom, click “Complete Contact Info”
Respectfully,
Holly Cohen
Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare
Support from residents of counties which still gas shelter pets is particularly important.
They are:
1. Ashburn, City of (In Turner County; no county facility; chamber housed in city.) 2. Butts County Animal Control 3. Cobb County Animal Control 4. Cordele, City of (Crisp County) 5. Cuthbert, City of (In Randolph County; no county facility; chamber facility; chamber housed in city.)
6. Haralson County Animal Shelter 7. Hawkinsville, City of (In Pulaski County; no county facility; chamber housed in city.)
8. Henry County Animal Control 9. Lakeland, City of (In Lanier County; no county facility; chamber housed in city.) 10. Mitchell County Animal Control 11. Vienna, City of Animal Shelter (In Dooly County; no county facility; chamber housed in city.)
Contact information for Representatives in gassing districts is here.
Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare
P.O. Box 1206
Darien, GA, 31305
info@gvaw.org