Update: Fortunately, this bill did not receive the approval of the committee to which it was assigned for review.
Bill Description: If passed, this bill would repeal the existing law that bans leghold traps and snares. If this bill becomes law, there would be no restrictions on the use of these traps, which would result in laws that are more lenient than those that already were in effect when Question 1 was passed in 1996.
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Leghold traps and snares are not species-selective. Instead, they are indiscriminate killing methods that sometimes catch and kill non-target animals such as a companion dog or a house cat. If not killed by such devices, captured animals can suffer severe physical injury, dehydration, exposure to severe weather, and predation by other animals. Moreover, the use of traps and snares in water and under ice involves the deliberate drowning of animals, which the American Veterinary Medical Association asserts is an unacceptable form of euthanasia. Snares frequently have to be replaced after each capture due to twisting and strain on the snare cable that results from animals struggling to free themselves. The voters already have spoken to this issue by enacting Question 1 and banning the use of these cruel devices; the state Legislature needs to respect the will of the voters.