Rette Speight - DAILY HERALD | Posted: Friday, February 29, 2008 11:00 pm
The House finally got its chance to take a stab at animal cruelty.
Like the Senate, some representatives said they were concerned about laws about cruelty to children and animals being on the "same par."
Rep. Mike Morley, R-Spanish Fork, voted against the bill.
"It's a dangerous place to go, a very slippery slope," Morley said.
Bill sponsor Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, said the bill states that only in cases of extreme torture or pain would a violation be a felony. If the same thing happened to a child, she said, the penalty would also be enhanced. A companion animal is defined as a dog or a cat in the bill.
Rep. Kerry Gibson, R-Ogden, blamed the media for "sensationalism" concerning animal cruelty issues in the legislative session, therefore inhibiting legislators from making a good public policy.
However, the media isn't only paying extreme attention to the bill, said Rep. Phil Reisen, D-Salt Lake City. The issue has generated a lot of e-mail and phone calls.
"I've had quite literally hundreds of phone calls and conversations with constituents and others about this," he said. "Folks want something done."
There is also a Senate bill concerning animal cruelty. Allen's bill has very slight differences in clarifying language and definitions.
Allen's bill passed in a 61-6 vote. It now goes to the Senate.