Hi Everyone,
 
        As promised really too long ago, I did stop by the Mass State House
in Boston to get a copy of House Bill 5196.  Quite a few may remember that
it was filed last year and died in committee.  I discovered that it is only
forty four lines long and was filed in July  of '94 as a revision to House
Bill 783 (no date given) which is only 21 lines long.  The Bill was to amend
"Section 6G of chapter 21 the General Laws" to allow the following:
 
        1. Possession of a ferret
            a. As a household pet provided that it has been neutered or
               spayed at the time of purchase, and has received distemper
               and rabies shots.
 
            b. For breeding, after the attainment of a license for an
               annual fee to be determined but not more than one thousand
               dollars.
 
            c. For research by a recognized institution.
 
            d. For education by a recognized institution.
 
        2. Hunting with a ferret is not legal.
 
        3. Releasing or allowing a ferret to escape into the wild is not legal.
 
        4. Ferrets shall not be sold in a pet shops.
 
        The bill was filed last year by Rep Janet O'Brien (D) of Hanover
Mass and I had a very pleasant conversation with her staff, as well as with
the staff of our representative whom I have kept in contact with since.
 
        The long and short of it (Wow what an education) is that the
legislative process is very very slow and deliberative.  They deal with some
8,000 bills which are introduced each year and maybe 200 make it through.
Also it seems that it is very difficult to get information, perhaps because
the process is so fluid and there are so many demands on their time.  What
seemed certain one day, may only have been a thought on the next, or
overtaken by another priority, so people it seems are very slow to commit
themselves.
 
        I was told when I talked to the staff again this morning, that the
bill was filed again for this year, however this time it was by Rep Brad
Jones (R) of N.Reading Mass.  It was said to be the same bill as last year
at the moment, however it does not have a docket number as yet.
 
        If anyone has any more information it would be good to hear about
it.  Perhaps we can get something going for this year.
[Posted in FML issue 1081]