Legislative Tracker: End-of-Summer-Recess Edition

End of summer means pumpkin spice latte in your favorite coffee shop, the beginning of school, and the return of legislators to the state and US capitols. In Michigan, we’ve seen two bills introduced this past month which the AFA … Continued

Endangered…

Now it’s the Endangered Species Act itself that is endangered. Although it received overwhelming bi-partisan support when enacted in 1973*, but for years a political football, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) faces an existential challenge. The current administration this week … Continued

Do We Really Need a 9th Way to Violate Michigan’s Hunter Harassment Law?

Michigan passed a Hunter Harassment Act in the 1990s and updated it several years ago to prevent hunters from being harassed by the use of drones. Now legislation has been introduced at the behest of the hunting interests to create … Continued

Federal, State and Local Updates and Legislative Tracker to May 31, 2019

We’re 5 months into the Michigan and Congressional legislative sessions. There’s been local activity as well. Highlights include: Michigan Legislature: This month saw the introduction of a 6-bill animal-friendly bill package, which AFA’s board has voted to support: animals in … Continued

Legislative Tracker to April 25, 2019: Action Needed Opposing Pro-Hunting SRs 30 (Sandhill cranes), 38 (wolves)

Below is the full report; here’s a link to the searchable version, so you can see the bills for yourself. Since the last Tracker, the Michigan Senate Natural Resources Committee held hearings on resolutions supporting hunting of sandhill cranes and … Continued

Legislative Tracker to April 13, 2019: It’s Heating Up

Michigan  The legislature is starting to settle in, with more animal-related bills being introduced and committee hearings being scheduled on those bills. Just yesterday, April 16, HB 4455, a bill that would designate the shelter pet as the state’s official pet was … Continued