From Gary Payne

Here is the latest.... Speaker of the House has told Rep. Urban she has "one week" to show him she has the votes to pass HB7019 (act banning elephant guide tool) or "this is finished". Urban claims to have 40+ votes but needs 70. We have heard that she is behind in votes previously only to discover she is ahead. There could be a meeting and vote on this as early as MONDAY! I was on a radio show broadcast on three stations yesterday. I made all the points circus fans can make on this issue and then challenged Rep. Urban to show up and demonstrate with her PETA friends. Rep. Urban was on the sidewalk with PETA protestors Saturday afternoon. While PETA approached children attending the circus, Ms Urban demanded to speak with building management to voice her opposition to "a group inside the building". Police arrested two protestors who passed from the protest area into the building. Picture an elected official, standing shoulder to shoulder with known animal extremists. Doug Cole and Don Horowitz joined me twice on the sidewalk with pro-circus signs. Gordon Turner, Steve Partyka, Dan McGinnis & Mary traveled from NY and MA to help us Saturday all day. We have a CFA VP, Maxine House, that I think Emailed and or called every single legislator. This has been attempted by quite a few who are still trying to reach the last page (there are nearly 200) but I think Maxine has completed the list first. Circus fan volunteers have been at every performance in the animal open house and on the main concourse. We have passed out more than 10,000 leaflets asking people to call their legislators. We have more than 3,000 petition signatures and we're going to be there all day on Sunday again. Radio personality Brad Davis has advised that the capital switchboard is receiving hundreds of calls. Brad's station website is also forwarding Emails. The public is no longer silent. We have given them a voice. What can you still do? Emails and phone calls. Keep them up until something develops. The calls and Emails should be particularly intense over the weekend and early Monday. There is to be a meeting on this Monday! Gary C. Payne