2019 League of Humane Voters of New Jersey Endorsements  

Get out and vote!

November 5, 2019 Election Day

LOHV-NJ is an a non-partisan organization. For endorsement purposes, we make no distinction between cruelty to companion or domestic animals and cruelty to wildlife.

In certain cases, LOHV-NJ has factored in votes cast during previous sessions or past positions held by candidates.

Conundrum

As is evident from the scorecard (linked here), some legislators voted for companion/domestic animal legislation and against deer.

Further complicating the matter, in a previous legislative session others voted for our resolution to protect New Jersey's leghold law from the game council's rogue "enclosed trap" regulation, yet also supported  bills that promote killing deer.

LOHV-NJ is in the position of recognizing a legislator's crucial vote against leghold traps, or another animal law, when the same legislator may also have voted for Sunday deer hunting. In the case of S2419/A3242, or the Poaching Bill, the bill's sponsor and supporters presented the legislation in a false light, as a "deer feeding and forest health" bill. In reality, it massively expands deer killing and logging. When informed, many legislators who voted for it regret the vote.

Given LOHV-NJ's mission of representing all animals, certain endorsements must be qualified. Deer and bears are not second-class species. Legislators can evolve. Qualified/endorsed candidates will carry an asterisk to denote a positive leghold vote, with possible negative votes on deer. In addition to voting, we urge our members to contact your qualified/endorsed legislator, thank him or her for the leghold vote, and urge more humane votes on deer, bears, and other wildlife in the future.

Endorsements - New Jersey Assembly

The LOHV-NJ scorecard features existing, and limited, voting records. We endorse the below Assembly candidates because of their strong support for animal protective legislation.

2019 LOHV-NJ Legislative Scorecard (Acrobat PDF)

NOTE: Extraordinary legislators are in bold below.

There are 40 legislative districts in New Jersey. To find your district, please click here.

Cited bills:

1. Deer Poaching Bill (A3242): Vastly expands unethical methods of kill to thousands of acres of wooded land, de facto normalizing abhorred deer poaching practices throughout much of New Jersey. Where problems exist, socially acceptable, nonlethal management - for deer, beaver, geese, and other wildlife - is available. OPPOSE. Status: Pending action in Assembly before going to Governor's Desk.
2. Vicious Dog Revision (A1822): Removes a provision that requires the courts to declare a dog potentially dangerous if trained, tormented, badgered, baited, or encouraged to engage in unprovoked attacks on domestic animals. SUPPORTED. Status: Signed into law.
3. Animal Fighting (S3146): Establishes owning or possessing animal fighting or dog fighting paraphernalia a  crime of third degree; establishes civil animal cruelty penalties therefor. SUPPORTED. Status: Signed into law.
4. Bijou's Law (A3044): Establishes license requirements for pet groomers. Bijou, a 6-year-old Shih-Tzu, was tragically killed during a routine trip to the groomer at a well-known pet store chain. SUPPORT. Status: Passed Assembly. Pending action in Senate.
5. Nosey's Law (S1093/A1923). Prohibits the use of elephants and other exotic animals in traveling circuses. The law was drafted in honor of Nosey, an African elephant, now rescued, who, like so many animals used for human entertainment, suffered decades of abuse in a traveling circus. LOHV-NJ inserted language that includes other exotic animals in the ban. SUPPORTED. Status: Signed into law.
6. Shark Fin Ban (A4845): Prohibits certain possession, sale, trade, distribution, or offering for sale of shark fins. The bill prevents New Jersey from contributing to the international shark fin trade. Fishermen pull sharks out of the water, slice their fins off and discard them back into the sea alive but unable to swim, to make shark-fin soup. SUPPORT. Status: Passed Senate. Awaiting a vote in the Assembly.
7. Cost of Care (S242/A781): Establishes process for recovering cost of caring for animals involved in animal cruelty violations. This helps prevent shelters and law enforcement from incurring debilitating costs in animal cruelty cases and can help rescued animals find homes sooner, saving money and animal lives. SUPPORT. Status: Passed the Assembly. Awaiting action in Senate.
8. Leghold Law (S179/A3110). Prohibits cruel body-gripping traps and snares, including the so-called "enclosed" leghold trap allowed by the Fish and Game Council in contravention of New Jersey's existing 1984 law that banned all types of leghold traps. SUPPORT. STATUS: Pending action in Assembly and Senate.
9. Hot Car Law (S1860/A2318). Expands conditions under which animals left in motor vehicles may be rescued. SUPPORT. Status: Passed Senate. Awaiting action in the Assembly.