Wally Sykes of of the HUMANE SOCIETY clued me in on his correspondence with Oregon Senator David Nelson regarding multiple animal rights issues including the proposal that Sportsmen be allowed to hunt Cougars with hounds..............While passed in the Oregon House of Reps, Senator Nelson feels that the bill will die in the Senate Environment and Natural Resources committee and not make it to the floor for a vote..............If this occurs, it will be the third time in recent years that the "Hound hunting of Cougars" issue has not gotten the "green light" in Oregon..............As George Wuerthner pointed out eloquently in his Post yesterday, hunting of Cougars with and without hounds works against the objective of minimizing Cougar conflicts with livestock and people............We will keep our eye on the outcome of this issue

On Sat, Apr 30, 2011 at 3:21 PM, wally sykes wrote:

Hey Rick - This from Sen. Nelson on a couple of bills, including the cougar one, which will likely die in committee.

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From: Sen Nelson <nelson.sen@state.or.usSubject:

RE: Vote NO on S.B. 805A - Oppose agribusiness attempt to prolong inhumane treatment of hens CRM:0004321 To: "'Walter Sykes'" <wally_sykes2000@yahoo.comDate: Saturday, April 30, 2011, 1:44 PM Dear Walter, Thank you for your comments on SB 805-A.  This bill has been referred to Ways and Means where it is likely to die.  If it does reappear, your mail has gone to the bill file for Senator Nelson's consideration at that time. In regard to the cougar bill,  it passed out of the House and has been referred to Senate Environment and Natural Resources.  It does not appear that it will move out of committee.  SB 616 may come up for vote in the Senate next week.  David appreciates hearing your concern for this proposal and will give due consideration to the bill before it comes up for vote.  Again, thank you for commenting on these three legislative proposals. Regards,  Alice Alice Nelson Legislative Assistant to Senator David Nelson 503-986-1729 Salem Office 541-278-2332 District Office 503-522-3459 Cell -----Original Message----- From: The Humane Society of the United States [mailto:http://mc/compose?to=humanesociety@hsus.org] On Behalf Of Walter Sykes Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2011 10:27 AM To: Sen Nelson Subject: Vote NO on S.B. 805A - Oppose agribusiness attempt to prolong inhumane treatment of hens Apr 26, 2011 Senator David Nelson State Capitol, Room S-211 900 Court Street, NE Salem, OR 97301 Dear Senator Nelson, As your constituent, I urge you to oppose S.B. 805A when it comes before you for your consideration.  Oregon hens deserve better than this. The Oregon Legislature began the session considering a bill (S.B. 805) to phase out battery cages in the state of Oregon, creating a better living environment for egg-laying hens and improving food safety at the same time. Unfortunately, this bill has been co-opted by the agribusiness industry and weakened by amendment after amendment until it provides nearly no new protections for hens until 2026. All animals deserve to be treated humanely, including animals raised for food. Thank you. Sincerely, Mr. Walter Sykes