PAST Act Surpasses 300 Sponsors In House
Monday, July 14, 2014
The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act has picked up 8 additional sponsors in the House of Representatives bringing the total to 303. Since our last update in late June, the following members have signed on as co-sponsors:
Michael Simpson (R-ID)
Alan Grayson (D-FL)
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-MP-At Large)
G.K. Butterfield (D-NC)
Don Young (R-AK-At Large)
Al Green (D-TX)
Ron Kind (D-WI)
Timothy Walz (D-MN)
The PAST Act was introduced by Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-KY). Whitfield's wife, Connie Harriman-Whitfield, is a lobbyist for the Humane Society Legislative Fund, an arm of the Humane Society of the United States. HSUS drafted the legislation and has been the major lobbying force behind the legislation.
The Senate version, introduced by Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), has picked up a 56th co-sponsor in Joe Donnelly (D-IN). An alternative bill to the PAST Act has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and in the Senate by Lamar Alexander (R-TN). The legislation introduced by Blackburn and Alexander have the majority support of the Tennessee and Kentucky delegations, the two states with the most registered Tennessee Walking Horses.
The PAST Act continues to add sponsors in states not affected by the Tennessee Walking Horse industry. The five most populated states with Tennessee Walking Horses account for less than 3% of the members sponsoring the PAST Act.