Hello everyone,
 
I just spoke with some terrific ferret activists in the Santa Barbara area
who told me that Senator O'Connell wrote them informing them that he will
vote yes on July 8th in the Senate Natural Resources Committee.  They were
kind enough to fax me the letter he wrote.
 
Senator O'Connell voted against our bill in 1995 but stated in his current
letter, "I believed, at the time, that we should allow the Department of
Fish and Game sufficient time to promulgate regulations to manage ferrets.
Unfortunately, they have been unable to join 48 other states in recognizing
the existence of ferrets and declaring them legal.... [he enumerates the
spay/neuter, and vaccination requirements of our bill plus reporting and
monitory of any possible feral colonies--they'll have a long wait for those
colonies to form] Given all of these reasonable restrictions of making
domestic ferrets legal in California I have decided to support AB 363 and
will vote "aye" when it comes before me in the Natural Resources Committee."
 
This is great news-- and is so welcome following some very bad news I passed
along earlier.  All of you hard working folks in Senator O'Connell's
district deserve a hearty round of applause.  Senator O'Connell was not
expected to support this bill.  He has moved from a no to a yes which is
like moving a mountian!!  A warm thanks goes to Sam Solace of Ferrets
Anonymous who has worked so hard in his area spreading the word.
Veterinarian Dawn Thomas personally met with the Senator in his office in
Sacramento, delivered CFL's informative ferret information package, and gave
the issue tremendous support via the radio on several pet-related talk shows
recently.
 
There is also an animal lover and activist who knew the Senator personally
and promised to call him about our bill.  I don't feel comfortable naming
her in this forum but I know she was instrumental in helping us.
 
In any case, we wil be going in to this committee a little stronger than we
expected so I hope this news elevates your spirits just a bit as it has mine.
 
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization (CFL)
410 Mountain Home Road  Woodside, CA  94062
(415) 851-3750   <[log in to unmask]>
http://www.ferretnews.org-- CFL Website
CALIFORNIANS, YOU CAN FIND OUT YOUR ASSEMBLYMEMBER AND STATE SENATOR BY
VISITING THIS SITE!! IT'S TIME TO CALL AND WRITE YOUR   SENATOR--THE FIRST
COMMITTEE VOTE WILL HAPPEN SOON!
[Posted in FML issue 1994]