New York State is trying to push a bill through that will ban all boas, pythons, hots, crocs and certain monitors. This is very similar to the ordinance we stopped in Chicago last year. This Bill has passed the assembly and the senate, its currently waiting on the governor to sign off on it and make it a law. If passed January of 05 NY State can kiss the bulk of their reptiles good bye. Yes this includes your hypos, motleys, sunglows etc. There is a clause that THEY MAY grant NY residents a permit to keep any animals acquired prior to this law being enacted. However any permits THEY MAY POSSIBLLY grant are for pets only! You are not allowed to breed. But do you really want your $5000 sunglow boa you just invested in to be a pet only? How about your spider ball python? If not we need to get active and stop this!!! I urge anyone and everyone whether you’re a NY resident or not to voice their opinion and denounce this bill. I personally ship a lot of stuff into NY, I know I am not the only one, if your just starting out in business you need to think about this because if this passes this is an entire state you’ll loose the opportunity to ever do business in. I also urge everyone to spread the word to anyone and everyone they can. Contact show promoters, breeders, supply dealers hobbyists etc. Pressure these people, they have huge mailing lists they can spread the word faster then any of us. Make them realize they need to get involved soon enough their may be no one left for them to sell their cages, light bulbs etc to. Let NY know that we will not stand back and allow them to take away our rights as responsible herpers with their blanket laws. NY is one of those states the other states look up to when it comes to legislation so you can bet money on the fact if this bill passes it WILL spread like wild fire. The ordinance we fought in Chicago last year was verbatim the one passed in NYC a couple years back. So if your sitting their thinking I don’t live their so I don’t have to worry about it. There’s your proof you better worry about it.
Below is the link to the internet copy of the bill awaiting the gov’s signature.
http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A02684&sh=t
The below link is to a page where you can email the Gov.
http://161.11.3.75/
To Write To The Governor:
Governor George E. Pataki
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
Below is a phone number where you can all and let them know your opposition to this bill. Tell them your calling in reference to bill A02684. You’ll then be asked if your for or opposed and asked for your zip code. I called today and gave them my zip and they logged my opposition to the bill even though I am a IL resident. If your moving there give them the zip your moving to.
518-474-8390
Many of you may remember some of you may not. Last year an ordinance came through Chicago as a knee jerk reaction to monkey pox that is pretty much the same thing as the current Bill in NY waiting for the Governor to sign off. This ordinance in Chicago we stopped last year, I was told by more then one person that we would never be able to stop it. Apparently the Aldermen who sponsored the bill is a powerful person within Chicago. I was told he has been known to push ridiculous things through and make them law just out of spit for people he doesn’t like. The people I spoken to who told me we would never be able to stop him or that city wide ban, deal with him on a regular basis and have done so for years. Very best they hoped that with all our support we could get the Aldermen to at least lisen and make the ordinance somewhat sensible. Well our support did the unthinkable and we stopped him from pushing the Chicago ban on reptiles through. When I spoke to these people they made a point that they didn’t think we could win, NOT because they didn’t believe in us, they didn’t think we could win because of the people and their tactics that we were up against. They were wrong, They were in awe, all they could say was thank you and how much they appreciated what WE had done. I know they spoke for the tens of thousands of reptile people within Chicago. My point of all this is two things, number one, we can do it, we don’t have to just roll over and take it from these people. There is enough of us and when we unit we CAN change things. #2 I was told last year that these politicians wouldn’t care what anyone who didn’t live within their district thought. Well they did, whether they cared because some of them realize you or I may become a voting resident in their district, prior to the next election or because of the over whelming response we gave them, I don’t care, all I know is WE got the job done and we need to do it again for NY State.
We need to stand up and let the government know that they have over stepped their bounds. Were Americans and we have rights as private responsible citizens and I for one am tired of seeing them stripped away!