The Latest: California bill would ban circus elephant hooks
Posted Apr 18, 2016 08:23:39 PM.
Last Updated Apr 18, 2016 09:21:39 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Latest on action in the California Legislature (all times local):
4:45 p.m.
The state Senate has voted to impose steep fines for using bullhooks in training elephants.
SB1062 cleared the Senate in a 29-9 vote on Monday. It now goes to the Assembly.
Individuals, zoos, circuses or other organizations that own elephants would be subject to fines of up to $10,000 if they are caught using bullhooks. They also could lose their state license to import, transport or own elephants.
However, using a bullhook would not be a crime. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown last year vetoed a bill that would have made it a crime to use a bullhook.
Animal welfare groups say bullhooks are a cruel and painful way to secure obedience. Some in the circus industry say bullhooks don’t harm the animals.
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3:45 p.m.
The California Senate has voted to ban powdered alcohol amid concerns that it could be enticing to teens or used in dangerous ways.
Senators approved SB819 in a unanimous vote on Monday, sending it to the state Assembly.
More than two dozen states have banned powdered alcohol since an Arizona man introduced a product called Palcohol.
The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved Palcohol’s product label but it’s not available on the market yet.
Republican Sen. Bob Huff of San Dimas, the bill’s author, says powdered alcohol could be snorted or added to drinks that already contain alcohol.
Palcohol disputes charges the product is likely to be abused. The company says Palcohol is a safe and convenient way for adults to drink.
