INDIANA SENATE CANNED HUNT BILL 2006 · As per IDNR web survey, Hoosiers who are aware of this not regulated or authorized IN agribusiness entertainment are overwhelmingly opposed to giving this cruel (and hidden from public view) operation legal status resulting in USDA subsidy, grant, loan, and other taxpayer funded “goodies.” · · The majority of IN newspapers have put out editorials calling for an end to this despicable recreation within IN · 19 states have partial or whole bans on this type of entertainment · · States who have allowed this recreational business to operate have incurred TENS of MILLIONS of dollars of costs associated with abuses and unintended consequences resulting from operations. Taxpayers have had to foot the bill for this. Indiana now has an opportunity to shut down the law breakers and protect Hoosier federal and state taxpayers from this abuse of agricultural privilege. · · This bill would grant a millionaire making MONOPOLY to those 12 single constituents who have been operating outside of the bounds of Indiana law. They would have no competition. They could operate YEAR ROUND. · · This bill grandfathers 12 canned hunt operators. It does NOT protect deer farmers. Deer FARMERS are currently allowed to raise deer for meat, urine, semen, and antlers. They are under the Board of Animal Health. They are not allowed to sell their animals for hunting. They are openly violating the law. This bill grants amnesty to the offending buyers and sellers. · · Natural Resource Committee has been lobbied since 1999 to approve and legalize this form of recreation. They have not done so. NO BILL HAS EVER PASSED THAT WOULD APPROVE OF THIS FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT. The legislators have stopped this entertainment in its tracks every year. · In 2004 the canned hunt suppliers and operators put together a “Sportsmen’s PAC” that contributed substantial sums to the current Governor (new administration) and canned hunt friendly legislators. One of those millionaire campaign contributors now sits in federal prison for violations on his “model” deer game farm. In October, 1999, the IN Natural Resource Committee actually met at his home. It was the FEDERAL government that put an end to this operation. www.real-hunters.com · · There is a history of canned hunt “FRIENDly” legislators abusing the amendment process in past legislative sessions to sneak legal authorization through the House and Senate. Every year these “FRIENDly” legislators have been stopped before they could inflict damage on the Hoosier taxpayer. This year’s “grandfather monopoly” is just such a ploy. · · Exotics (retired zoo and circus animals as well as shipped from Africa) are currently “hunted” for entertainment in Indiana. There is no list of the operations although they advertise openly. www.bowguns.com · · Loopholes within the proposed bill allows for exotics to be killed on the grounds of these “Hoosier bed and breakfasts.” · · WE NEED AN IMMEDIATE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED TO INVESTIGATE THE GRANDFATHERING PROCESS (financials) THAT HAS BEEN INTRODUCED WITH THIS BILL. NO LAW BREAKERS SHOULD BE GRANTED AMNESTY. NO MILLIONAIRE MAKING MONOPOLIES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SNEAK THROUGH THE SENATE.