Elephant Advocates Battle Circus
by Christine Stuart | May 10, 2007 5:24 PM
Posted to State Capitol
Elephant advocates held a press conference Thursday to respond to an advertisement Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus placed in the Hartford Courant the week of May 7th.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus have been actively lobbying against HB 7019 which would make it a misdemeanor for trainers to use a bullhook on elephants while they’re performing in the state. The bill would not outlaw elephants.
Rep. Steve Fontana, D-North Haven, said those lobbying against the bill have made some misleading statements.
Rep. Diana Urban, D-North Stonington, said she can dispute each of the claims the Ringling Brothers has made.
Here’s her rebuttal to everything Ringling had to say.
She said Ringling has tried to argue that if they were unable to come to the state there would be no one to take their place and their absence would stifle the economic activity the circus brings when it comes to places like Hartford. The argument is misleading because there are three other traveling circuses that don’t use elephants in their shows, she said. The Big Apple Circus stopped using elephants in 2000 and the Cole Bros. Circus stopped using them in 2004.
She said the money families use to take their children to the circus is part of a family’s entertainment budget which they would spend with or without the circus, so there is no net economic gain.
According to Urban, she has the support of at least 45 lawmakers. She said if she’s able to get a little more support Speaker James Amann promised he would let the bill be debated on the floor of the House.
The clock is ticking but Urban remains optimistic she’ll win the support of 30 more lawmakers before the session ends June 6. It narrowly passed both the Environment and Judiciary Committees and is on the House calendar.
Comments (6)
Posted by: virtute | May 11, 2007 2:08 PM
I'm appalled that they allowed elephants in the Capitol to advocate for themselves.
Posted by: christine | May 11, 2007 4:12 PM
There were no elephants in the Capitol and if you were referring to those who advocate on their behalf I will have to remove your comment. We do not allow personal attacks in the comment section. We prefer intelligent debate.
Posted by: Renee Storey | May 12, 2007 7:19 PM
Cole Bros. Circus opposes HB 7019, the bill concerning elephants co-sponsored by Representatives Diana S. Urban and Stephen A. Fontana. Adding to a long list of inaccurate statements made in support of this bill, Representative Urban stated that Cole Bros. Circus no longer exhibits elephants. The 2007 performance of Cole Bros. Circus includes elephants and, as a federally licensed, Class C Exhibitor, we have continually exhibited elephants either as part of our own show or at other venues. We have scheduled three appearances in Connecticut for later this year, and look forward to presenting our performances complete with elephants.
Had Ms. Urban checked her facts, she could have avoided uttering a false claim that evidences failure to verify information and calls in to question the sources and veracity of information Ms. Urban has offered to her fellow legislators, the media and the public regarding HB 7019. Representative Stephen A. Fontana accused opponents of HB 7019 as engaging "...in a pattern of misinformation, misleading and disingenuous statements." In light of Mr. Fontana's concern for accuracy, we can hope that he will encourage his esteemed colleague, Ms. Urban, to authenticate data and stick to the facts.
Lost in the emotional rhetoric and media circus generated by HB 7019 is the fact that the scope of the bill violates rights, privileges and authority granted under the Constitution of the United States, specifically Article I, Section 8--Commerce and Amendment XIV--Equal Protection. HB 7019 targets Class C Exhibitors who possess licenses issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA/APHIS/Animal Care) to exhibit and transport their animals in accordance with the provisions of the Animal Welfare Act, Public Law 89-544 passed by Congress in 1966. HB 7019 seeks to interfere with interstate commerce conducted by Class C exhibitors. Further, HB 7019 would grant special immunity with regard to transportation of animals by individuals or organizations that do not possess Class C Licenses. Comprising an extensive staff of veterinary medical officers and inspectors with expertise in the care and handling of elephants, USDA/APHIS/Animal Care, along with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and the Elephant Managers Association (EMA), recognizes the elephant guide (ankus) as an appropriate device for training and directing elephants that should and will be used without causing harm to the animals. In proposing to ban the elephant guide, HB 7019 is inconsistent with federal law regarding elephant care and transport, and it contradicts the wisdom and animal husbandry practices of respected institutions and individuals actively engaged in the care and preservation of endangered species.
HB 7019 leaps to the irrational conclusion that a device identified by the federal government and animal experts as appropriate for use in training elephants "may be reasonably used to inflict harm" and it categorizes "Possession of a device which may be used to harm..." as an offense even in the absence of harm. As elephant experts at USDA/APHIS/Animal Care, AZA and EMA and the world over do not expect harm to result from use of the elephant guide, it is therefore unreasonable for HB 7019 to anticipate it will.
To fully appreciate the absurdity of HB 7019, imagine a photo opportunity following passage of HB 7019: Ms. Urban stands triumphant, next to an elephant while holding the elephant guide she brandished while touting the merits of HB 7019. In this scenario, Ms. Urban could be charged with a Class B misdemeanor, as the language of HB 7019 presumes that anyone who possesses an elephant guide in proximity to an elephant violates the law. Thus, HB 7019 is a bad bill that offers an unwarranted solution to a problem that does not exist.
I urge the people of Connecticut and the members of the Connecticut General Assembly to oppose HB 7019.
Renee Storey
Vice President-Administration
Cole Brothers Circus, Inc.
P. O. Box 127
DeLand, FL 32721
386-736-0071 Office Phone
386-956-5737 Cell Phone
Posted by: Kerri | May 13, 2007 9:08 AM
Thanks for covering this story in a way that is not demeaning to the protesters or to the actual issue at hand.
Posted by: tim | May 13, 2007 6:06 PM
this seems like a personal agenda of miss urban,wonder how much money peta is passing on to her,something is fishy!!!
Posted by: Willie | May 13, 2007 6:38 PM
Get a life...is a circus!!!