Opossum The NC Legislature has a new bill to allow the exclusion of opossums from wildlife laws. This essentially means that any existing laws that protect wildlife will NOT apply to the opossum. The bill has already received approval amongst NC representatives and has already been voted on once in the NC Senate. House Bill 574 (Click the link below) http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2015&BillID=H574 If you are a NC resident, please send an e-mail to your senator. Find your NC Senator at this link: http://www.ncleg.net/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx If you are not a NC resident, please send an e-mail to Phil Berger, President Pro Tempore of the NC Senate at: Phil.Berger@ncleg.net Additional information and details can be found at www.RiseNC.org under "Possum Bill" at the top of page. Red Wolf Kim Wheeler, Director of the Red Wolf Coalition, has requested that animal advocates contact our congressional senators and congressional representatives in regards to the continuation of the Red Wolf Recovery Program. Find your U.S. Senator at: U.S. Senate: Senators of the 114th Congress Find your U.S.Representative at: http://www.house.gov/ Additional information can be found at www.risenc.org Kadie Anderson Kadie Anderson continues to fight for the end of loose dog hunting in NC. A new bill in the NC legislature (H.B. 460) has been proposed that would require the reporting of animal incidents. Please let your NC Senator and NC Representative know that you support this bill. Please support Kadie by signing her petition at change.org: North Carolina State Senate: Revoke the statute protecting hunting dogs from citation for aggressive and dangerous behavior toward people, livestock, and pets while engaged in a hunt. Trapping Senate Bill 647 to amend trapping laws has been proposed in the NC legislature. Please let your NC Senator know that you oppose trapping. In NC, each county has to have its own law in regards to trapping. The county must have the law passed by the NC legislature. Several counties have bills pending in the General Assembly. I have a list of these bills on RiseNC.org. North Carolina General Assembly - Senate Bill 647 Information/History (2015-2016 Session) Gaston County Geese Gaston County, as reported by Rebecca Duffeck, may have another flock of geese killed by the USDA. A group of volunteers are trying to relocate the ducks. Referencing the Dallas Park Geese massacre of 2013, the Gaston County commissioners did promise that it would not happen again and that it cannot happen again because there are no geese allowed in the park due to their much-used pyrotechnic gun. They have also established an ordinance that anyone caught feeding ANY wildlife in Gaston County parks will be fined $180. Wildlife Resource Standing Committee The NC House of Representatives established a Wildlife Resource Standing Committee to study NC Wildlife Resource Commission. Please go to RiseNC.org for additional information. Immediate Attention Required HSUS reports the poultry industry and Chamber of Commerce are pushing an Ag-Gag bill that aims to punish anyone who exposes cruelty to farm animals. The NC House may vote on this bill tomorrow. HSUS just launched a new television ad airing across the state that shows this misleading bill for what it is: an attempt to cover up animal cruelty. You can click to watch it here» Don't let our General Assembly cover up animal cruelty!! Act now to stop to stop the "Ag Gag" bill. Call and email today - Ask your legislators to vote NO on HB 405 . Politely state that NC should not protect people who inflict pain and cruelty on farm animals. After you call, please remember to send a follow-up message» Bills Proposed in the NC Legislature Several new animal bills are being proposed and passed by the NC legislature. Please go to www.RiseNC.org for an update. If a bill is missing from the site and it involves animals, please e-mail me at Millie@RiseNC.org. WE are the voice for the voiceless animals. Please make you voice heard and speak out for the animals!!