Turkeys: A Thanksgiving Day’s Perspective

It’s estimated that 88% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving, translating to roughly 46 million turkeys being consumed on the holiday alone. Each year, about 215 million turkeys are raised and slaughtered in the U.S. While turkeys have a prominent place in the American Thanksgiving tradition, the legal protections for these birds remain virtually nonexistent.

Lunch + Legislation: Logan Christian, National Caucus of Environmental Legislators

Today we welcomed Logan and learned about a great resource for legislators — and advoates. The NCEL “empower[s] a nonpartisan network of state legislative champions. Created by and for state legislators, NCEL serves as a resource to lawmakers working to … Continued

“The 102nd”: Following the Michigan Legislature 2023-2024, #1 — Committees Formed

Our goal is to provide up-to-date and practical information for animal advocates. Our resources are easily accessible and aren’t found elsewhere. With the beginning of the new Michigan Legislature, we begin The 102nd, a series of posts to give you … Continued

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

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 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

Wrapping up the 2017-2018 Session: Our Final Legislative Tracker, to December 31, 2018

We are just now, at the end of the first week of January 2019, catching our breath from the frenetic and consequential “lame duck” session of the Michigan Legislature. The 2019-20 session will begin on January 9, 2019. Before we … Continued