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Get Political for Animals
Know Your Legislators' Scores
SCORES MATTER
With the launch of the 2012 "short" state legislative session this week, Animal Protection Voters wants to remind you that you’re an important part of making sure New Mexico’s animal protection laws are strong. Informed citizens and voters can be better advocates for animals if they understand how their lawmakers are representing them at the state capitol.
Animal Protection Voters’ valuable 2011 Scorecard of the New Mexico Legislature provides all the data you need to understand how your state Senator and state Representative have voted on behalf of animal issues in previous sessions.
If your legislators voted for the animals every time, their scores will be 100%, so please be sure to thank them for standing up for New Mexico’s humane values! If your legislators’ scores fell short of 100%, please be sure to let them know that animal protection issues are important to you and why. Ask them to improve their scores this year in the 2012 session, if given the opportunity.
If you don’t know who your legislators are, click here to obtain that information.
Please share this important scorecard information with your friends, family, neighbors and others who you know care about animals!
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
If you are not a current member of Animal Protection Voters, we need you to be! Simply put, our ability to leverage your strong support of animal issues into votes and other support for pro-animal elected officials depends on your being a member of Animal Protection Voters.
When you join, we will keep you updated on our lobbying activity in Santa Fe and Washington, D.C. We will also be able to let you know who Animal Protection Voters is endorsing in very competitive state and federal campaigns that will be very important for animals in 2012.
The more paid members we have, the more our voice counts and the bigger difference we can make collectively at the ballot box. The IRS prohibits us from sharing our elections endorsements with those who are not current, paid members. We’re certain you want to know which candidates will stand up for animals!
And while the 2012 state legislative session is largely about fiscal matters, and animal-related policy bills will likely be a very small part of the agenda (they must be specifically asked for by the Governor), Animal Protection Voters’ lobbyists will be at the capitol every day to monitor legislation that is introduced to make sure we support good bills and fight against bad bills. Your support allows us to be there on the ground at the state capitol where we need to be.
YOUR VOICE MATTERS
Finally, there is already some good news. We have every reason to believe that Governor Martinez is not planning to endorse a bill that would target “pit bull type dogs.” No doubt that is because so many of you contacted your legislators and even Governor Martinez. This means that the bill cannot proceed in this short session without the Governor’s support.
In the meantime, you may want to encourage your legislators to refer to the recommendations Animal Protection Voters made in letters sent to each of them and the Governor regarding more effective ways to address the problem of dogs who attack people and other animals.
As the 2012 session unfolds, we will keep you informed of all those bills that will need your support, as well as those that will require your opposition, in order to keep animals safe in our state.
It is obvious that your voice counts! Thank you for all you do to make sure animals are treated with kindness and consideration in New Mexico!
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