Buchanan voted against SB250 in 2009, claiming it would require purchase of a special "unaltered" license at a higher fee which "would have placed an undue hardship on breeders and the average pet owner."
According to Judie Mancuso, President, Social Compassion in Legislation, "the opposition succeeded in delivering misinformation and alarming legislators into believing that SB 250 was a mandatory sterilization bill for ALL pet owners. SB 250 would only apply to pets that are not properly licensed and not in compliance with existing law."
An amended version of SB250 was brought back to the Assembly this August, and again Joan Buchanan voted No. Evidently Buchanan wasn't one of the members of the legislature according to Mancuso who ". . . took the time to read the language of the bill, hear our arguments and concerns, and reconsider their vote on the issue."
In the meantime the State of California is spending over $300 million annually controlling pet overpopulation. Over 500,000 dogs and cats are annually housed and euthanized in our local shelters. Enforcing spay and neuter laws would reduce the amount of unwanted animals at shelters being euthanized and cut the cost of continuing this disgraceful practice.
Buchanan doesn't get it. Last September she sent a letter to Elise Stewart, thanking her for "taking the time to contact me regarding your opposition to SB250." Except Stewart, who is the President and founder of Safe-Cat Foundation, is in favor of the bill.
Buchanan's letter continued on about finding ways (presumably other than requiring spaying and neutering) to limit the overpopulation of dogs, when our organization is about saving cats. So much for how much attention Buchanan paid to SB250 or her constituents.
Abram Wilson is running against Buchanan for the 15th Assembly District. He supports AB250, which he called "a no brainer."
Wilson is a fiscal conservative and would be happy to find ways to save the State $300 million a year spent on putting dogs and cats to death. I urge everyone who cares about animal welfare and overpopulation, and saving the State millions of dollars, to vote for Abram Wilson this November.