Florida bill pushes to ban sale of exotic reptiles
By Robert Samuels | The Miami Herald
As a bill banning the sale and trade of Burmese pythons and other invasive reptiles came up for a vote at a House committee hearing Wednesday, sponsor Rep. Trudi Williams made a mockly stern request:
"No hissing, members," the Fort Myers Republican said.
The week before, when the bill was presented to a different House committee, members noted their approval with a tongue-in-cheek "Yessss."
Such is the life of an animal bill trying to become law. They draw bad jokes, dramatic anecdotes and scads of lobbyists. In a year when cost is key, proposals like the python bill — with no tax dollars attached but plenty of political juice — become exceedingly popular among legislators.
"It's a good year for these kinds of bills," said Janet Bowman of the nonprofit environmental group, The Nature Conservancy, "because they don't have fiscal impact."
To read the complete article, visit www.miamiherald.com.
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