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(May 1, 2008)— WASHINGTON — Citing his support and active leadership on animal welfare policies in the Oregon state legislature, the Humane Society Legislative Fund announced that it has endorsed House Speaker Jeff Merkley in Oregon's Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
"Speaker Merkley has been a champion in promoting common-sense policies to protect animals from cruelty and abuse," said Michael Markarian, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. "For Oregon voters who want a proven leader on animal welfare issues to represent the Democratic party in the U.S. Senate race, it is critical that they nominate Jeff Merkley on the primary ballot."
Speaker Merkley has fought for bills to protect pets and other animals, and several path-breaking reforms would not have passed had it not been for his active support in the legislature. He has supported efforts to:
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strengthen the penalties for attending dogfights and participating in cockfights
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include pets in disaster planning
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ban the sale of dog and cat fur
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strengthen animal cruelty laws
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stop the processing of sick and crippled cows for human consumption
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ban the remote control shooting of live animals over the Internet
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shorten trap check times so wild animals don’t struggle for hours or days in cruel traps
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give K-12 students the choice of not dissecting animals
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ban the inhumane confinement of pigs in tiny crates on industrial factory farms
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uphold the will of Oregon voters and protect the core provisions of Measure 18, which banned the trophy hunting of bears and cougars with the aid of bait and hounds
HSLF's endorsement of Merkley is for the Democratic primary, and the group has not yet made any recommendation for the general election.
HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal welfare. HSLF does not judge candidates based on party affiliation or any other issue. .
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Media contact: Heather Sullivan: 301-548-7778, hsullivan@hslf.org
The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. On the web at www.hslf.org.
Paid for by Humane Society Legislative Fund and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee. HSLF, 519 C Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. | 
