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Beebe: Support strong for felony animal cruelty law Saturday, Aug 2, 2008 By John Lyon Arkansas News Bureau LITTLE ROCK - Support is strong among legislators for making cruelty against animals a felony in Arkansas, Gov. Mike Beebe said Friday. Beebe made the comment on his monthly call-in radio program "As the Governor" on the Arkansas Radio Network. The governor also fielded calls on the state's agreement this week to lease natural gas drilling rights on Arkansas Game and Fish Commission land, a state sales tax holiday, and Barack Obama. A caller to the program urged Beebe to "start a fire" under legislators to get a felony animal cruelty law passed in 2009. Two bills that would have made some acts against animals a felony failed in the Legislature in 2007. "I'm not sure it's going to be necessary this time to build a fire under them," Beebe said. "I think the pressure is mounting to the point that there is a greater degree of support in the Legislature." Beebe did not site a specific measure he would support, but he predicted that some type of animal cruelty legislation will become law. "Frankly, I think we're real close," he said. "A lot of the pieces of legislation that were talked about last time are fairly close to I think what we can pass, and certainly I think a tough, realistic animal cruelty law, a felony on animal cruelty, will be forthcoming and I support that." State Sen. Sue Madison, D-Fayetteville, and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel have said they are working separately on animal cruelty measures for next year's legislative session. Madison sponsored a bill last year that would have made aggravated cruelty to dogs, cats and horses a felony on first offense. A rival bill by Rep. Rick Saunders, D-Hot Springs, would have made animal cruelty a felony only for a second offense occurring within five years. Madison said Friday she could not think of any legislators who had changed their minds on the issue, but she said some outgoing legislators who opposed a felony animal cruelty law will be replaced by incoming legislators who have told her they support it. Madison also said public support for a first-offense felony law grows each time an incident of abuse makes the news, such as a Newton County case in which a man is accused of repeatedly shocking two small dogs with a cattle prod and encouraging a 15-year-old to kick and stomp other dogs. "I don't think you get two chances to stick cattle prods up inside of puppies and then stomp them to death," Madison said. Also on "Ask the Governor," Beebe said the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's decision Monday to lease drilling rights in two wildlife management areas to Chesapeake Energy Corp. should allow the state to collect royalties that "far exceed" the $29.5 million Chesapeake agreed to pay for those rights. The royalties should be distributed to worthy projects across the state, Beebe said. Asked about reports that the Game and Fish Commission received a check from Chesapeake before commissioners voted on the lease agreement, Beebe said he was glad the commission did not deposit the check until after the vote. Beebe also said he is "open-minded" on the idea of a state sales tax holiday and assured a caller he will campaign in support of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. The caller said the country needs a black president. Beebe said his support of Obama has nothing to do with race. "I think he's a good man and I think he's got fresh ideas, and I'm afraid of where this country's headed in a number of other areas," Beebe said. |
