Grace's Law, H.B. 788 passed the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee unanimously on Thursday April 1, 2010, but with an amendment.  The amendment allows for euthanasia by intra-cardiac injection, or 'heartsticking', but only in heavily sedated, unconscious or comatose animals.    The bill next heads for the Senate Rules Committee.  If it passes Rules, it will go before the full Senate for a vote.  If it passes the full Senate, it must then go back to the House for approval of the amendment.  There is limited time left in the legislative session.

Grace's Law, named after a hound who survived the now-defunct Liberty County gas chamber in 2006, would ban the use of the gas chamber to kill shelter pets in Georgia.  Several taxpayer-funded shelters still use this cruel and outmoded method, but the vast majority use 'euthanasia by injection' or EBI, which is regarded by the American Veterinary Medical Association as the most humane method.  The Association of Shelter Veterinarians has issued a position statement opposing the use of gas chambers in shelters.

The Georgia Voters for Animal Welfare urge all Georgia voters who have not yet done so to call their Senators in support of H.B. 788, Grace's Law.  Constituents of Rules Committee members should call their Senators and politely ask that they vote 'yes' to schedule H.B. 788, Grace's Law for a vote on the Senate floor.  All other Georgia voters should call their Senators and ask them to vote 'yes' when the bill is before the full Senate.  Phone calls or faxes are far more effective than emails.

If you are unsure who your Senator is, just go to the Project Vote Smart page, type in your zip code and click "go". If you don't know your zip+4, click “Don’t know your 9 digit zip?” on the right side of the screen and follow the instructions, then return to the Project Vote Smart page and use it. Your Senator's name will be highlighted in blue under the "State Legislative" heading. Click on the name to go to their page which will have a link to their complete contact information.

Members of the Rules Committee are:

Balfour, Don (R-SS 09), Chairman
Hamrick, Bill (R-SS 30), Vice Chairman
Seabaugh, Mitch (R-SS 28), Secretary
Butler, Gloria S. (D-SS 55), Member
Hill, Jack (R-SS 04), Member
Hooks, George (D-SS 14), Member
Moody, Dan (R-SS 56), Member
Mullis, Jeff (R-SS 53),  Member
Pearson, Chip (R-SS 51),  Member
Rogers, Chip (R-SS 21), Ex-Officio
Shafer, David (R-SS 48), Ex-Officio
Smith, Preston W. (R-SS 52), Member
Tate, Horacena (D-SS 38), Ex-Officio
Thomas, Don (R-SS 54), Member
Tolleson, Ross (R-SS 20), Member
Unterman, Renee S (R-SS 45), Ex-Officio
Williams, Tommie (R-SS 19), Member
 

Georgia voters have already expressed tremendous support for this bill and have gotten it this far.  Continued strong support is needed if it is to continue on its journey into law.  Georgia is poised to make history by banning this abusive killing method in its shelters, and to light the way for other states to do the same.  By putting a stop to the gassing of pets, we will be one step closer to the day when the killing of healthy and treatable shelter pets is a thing of the past.

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