The 2000 Washington State legislative session proved to be dangerous to animals. The legislature voted to rescind a voter-approved ban on hound-hunting of cougars, and failed to enact any of the legislation beneficial to animals that PAWS was there to advance.

Six PAWS advocates worked with state senators and representatives to introduce five bills benefiting animals. Unfortunately with the legislature’s attention diverted by the looming effects of the Initiative-695 budget cuts, they found little time to work on animal issues and none of the bills resulted in creating animal protection laws.

PAWS worked closely with a core group of legislators whose action clearly demonstrated a commitment to Washington’s animals. Among the most animal-friendly legislators were Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-36, Seattle), Senator Pat Thibideau (D-43, Seattle), Senator Julia Patterson (D-33, Des Moines), Senator Darlene Fairley (D-32, Shoreline), Senator Bob Oke (R-26, Gig Harbor), Representative Hans Dunshee (D-39, East Snohomish County), Representative Phil Rockefeller (D-23, Kitsap County), Debbie Regalla (D-27, Tacoma) and Representative Mark Miloscia (D-30, Federal Way).

Senate Bill 6436 PAWS advocate Diane Venberg worked with lead sponsor Senator Julia Patterson (D-33) on this bill, which would have prohibited travelling animal displays. Similar to the Seattle City Council proposal (see page 7), this bill would have protected circus animals forced to perform across the state.

Senate Bill 6628 PAWS advocate Jennifer Hillman worked with lead sponsor Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-36) to ban the use of battery cages for egg-laying hens. Battery cages are small wire-mesh containers the size of a bread box, housing four to six chickens their entire lives.

Senate Bill 6544 PAWS Advocacy director Will Anderson worked with Senator Patterson to introduce this bill prohibiting the capture, display, transport, and breeding of whales, dolphins, manatees, and dugongs in Washington state. This bill would have stopped the now frequent transfer of stressed belugas to and from Tacoma’s Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. It was blocked by Sen. Ken Jacobsen (D) Committee Chair.

Senate Bill 6627 and House Bill 2859 PAWS advocate Stephanie Jones worked with lead sponsors Senator Tracey Eide (D-30) and Representative Mark Miloscia (D-30) on these bills providing guidelines for the care and treatment of animals used in classroom settings. It also would have guaranteed the right of any student objecting to dissection to be given an alternative without prejudice or penalty.

Senate Bill 6611 PAWS Wildlife Advocate Stephanie Hillman and PAWS Companion Animal Advocate Kay Joubert worked together with co-sponsors Senators Bob Oke (R-26) and Darlene Fairley (D-32) on a bill that would phase out the use of antifreeze containing the deadly ethylene glycol. Anti-freeze is responsible for the suffering and deaths every year of hundreds of wild and companion animals who accidentally injest this toxin.

Both the wild animals of Washington and basic common sense suffered setbacks during the recent Washington State legislative session as lawmakers approved a bill to overturn many of the provisions of voter-approved Initiative 655, which banned the use of hounds in sport hunting of cougars. The voter initiative passed statewide in 1996 with a 63% majority.

The Senate Natural Resources Committee Chair Ken Jacobsen (who eventually voted against the animals on the bill) held hearings on the issue. The hearings were high on emotion and low on facts. Hunting proponents painted a picture of cougars roaming streets of Washington cities, gobbling up citizens like candy. Animal advocates tried to point out the rarity of cougar encounters, the problems of human encroachment into wildlife lands, and the shortsightedness of overturning a law supported overwhelmingly by Washington citizens just a few years ago. Emotion trumped facts.

Despite hundreds of calls and letters from PAWS members encouraging Governor Gary Locke to veto the bill, Locke signed the bill in March.