National Legislative Update

by Anthony DiBernardo
PVPHS Class of ‘03

After constant bombardment by animal welfare organizations and prompted by a sense of responsibility to animals, Gov. George Ryan of Illinois signed HB 5625 into law. This makes filming or videotaping an act of animal cruelty a Class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to a year in jail. The bill was sponsored by Metro East Senators in response to a videotape of two young men torturing a cat with firecrackers. They sold the tapes to classmates for $6 each. The boys were merely given a $100 fine and court-ordered supervision. The new law also forces those convicted of animal cruelty to undergo several months of psychological therapy. This is very effective, as many young individuals could mature into more serious criminals. Bravo Gov. Ryan—you don’t realize the sizeable difference you have made.

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