This page is being updated. Please check back soon for a list of key 2007 State of Ohio pending legislation, who is supporting it, and who pledged to support it before the last election.
...with the help of animal-concerned people across the state, in grass-roots organizations, national organizations like API and IDA, shelters, in areas of hot animal issues such as feral cats, suburban wildife "culling," and areas threatened by privately-owned wild animals, and everywhere that groups and individuals care about the welfare of animals.
THANK YOU to everyone who has spread the message near and far this year, to everyone who has helped us network, and to everyone involved in GOTV (get out the vote)!
2006 was an incredibly stong start, but let's get ready RIGHT NOW for 2007 (mostly Council elections) and the BIG ONE, 2008!
We have strongly endorsed several candidates this year, but we have also, in our short push in the last quarter of 2006, communicated with dozens more. So if you're new to the LOHV and have questions about your Ohio elected representatives or candidates, please contact us! We will even find your district and current reps for you or help you do this.
In addition to the candidates listed on the left sidebar, John F Kostyo returned an excellent questionnaire to us that you can see in pdf format by clicking here. If you're in the 76th House district, PLEASE GET OUT AND VOTE FOR JOHN. Like wise for KEN CARANO IN THE 59th HOUSE DISTRICT, whose questionnaire is here!
---------------------------
LOHV DELIVERS THE VOTE
LOHV Chapters are independently incorporated political action committees (PACs) in NY, PA, OH, and now in California with the addition of the ALAN (Animal Legislative Network) PAC, all soon to be incorporated as a national umbrella group.
That's right, we're a PAC, a lobby. Do politics and concern for animals mix? Absolutely. The LOHV carefully interviews, endorses, campaigns and ultimately delivers the vote for representatives who have the common decency to care about animal issues.
This is more important than ever right now as current Federal and State bills are facing off against issues such as animal cruelty, ownership of wild animals (especially after the recent mauling of a woman by a privately-owned bear in Ashtabula County, OH), terrible conditions in puppy mills, and other important issues that benefit both animals AND people.
How do we deliver the vote? The LOHV networks broadly with ALL animal-concerned groups and individuals, everyone from our specific members to dog rescue groups to animal rights organizations to equestrians to shelter workers to individual citizens concerned with specific issues to... you get the idea. Everyone with common decency is an animal lover and wants their politicians to be animal lovers as well. We are Animal LOHVers.
DO YOU FEEL POWERLESS IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS?
You are not powerless, and we're here to help you make the system work for animals. Contact us and become a part of the process.
IS AMERICA A DEMOCRACY?
Quite literally and by strict definition, NO! America is a REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY. Your elected representatives make the laws, not you. Not unless you learn to have an effect on your elected reps.
If a law were proposed today to make animal cruelty a felony instead of a misdemeanor, would you vote for it? Of course, especially considering some of the cases of HIDEOUS cruelty in the news lately, and the fact that young abusers often go on to commit acts of violence against humans, even serial killing and school shootings.
BUT YOU CAN'T VOTE ON A LAW TO MAKE ANIMAL CRUELTY A FELONY! Only your elected representatives can do this. And, currently in Ohio, House Bill 613 is pending that would make cruelty a felony and require psychiatric evaluation of offenders under the age of 15.
This is why we need elected representatives who will support these common-sense, common decency laws! And we need to learn to use the ballot initiative to propose our own!
PLEASE CONTACT US NOW AND JOIN US in this important cause!
Please also contact us with any issue of animal exploitation, abuse or neglect that requires addressing on a large scale. Cases of abuse of a single animal should be reported to the proper authorities, to the ASPCA, etc., but we are also willing to direct people to local wildlife rehabilitation experts or to the proper parties when we are able. For situations outside of Ohio we will also gladly refer you to the LOHV chapter of that state.
We want your help, should you want to give it, so do not hesitate to contact us if you are a concerned "animal person"!
