From Renee Storey

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