Felony animal-torture bill clears Senate Ag, heads to full Senate

The Senate Agriculture Committee has voted unanimously in favor of HB 524 , anti-animal cruelty legislation that’s backed by an array of agriculture groups, with the lone exception of the Idaho Farm Bureau. The bill defines “companion animals” and animal torture, and makes torture of a companion animal a felony on the first offense, if the offender has been convicted of injuring a person within the previous 10 years. Without that past offense, it makes torture of a companion animal a felony on a second or subsequent conviction. Agricultural practices and production animals aren’t covered.

Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, called the measure “a modest improvement in our animal cruelty statutes.” Sen. Jim Rice, R-Caldwell, chairman of the committee and the bill’s co-sponsor, said, “This is addressing a specific problem with a solution that gets at the root of the problem.”

Sen. Mark Harris, R-Soda Springs, said, “This bill’s given me a lot of heartburn and I’ve had a lot of questions about it and many sleepless nights, but I will support it where I see that it has more good things in it than bad. I see it as it does protect agriculture, and I’m sure that some groups will come back and want more. I guess we’ll have to fight those battles when they come.”

The bill earlier passed the House on a 62-5 vote; today’s Senate committee passage sends it to the full Senate with a recommendation that it “do pass.” If the Senate supports it, it’d need just the governor’s signature to become law. Groups backing the bill, sponsored by House Agriculture Chairman Ken Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs, range from the Food Producers to the Idaho Cattle Association to the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, veterinarians and animal advocates.