Support California Assembly Bill 1788
Update: September 12, 2019
Thank you to the many, many California advocates who reached out to their legislators in support of this important bill to protect wildlife from super-toxic rat poisons. While the bill will not advance this year, there is a lot going on behind the scenes to fine-tune the language to give it the best chance of becoming law in 2020.
AB 1788 will become what is called a "two year bill." California has a two year legislative session, so bills that moved forward this session still have a chance to become law next year. This is great for AB 1788 because significant progress was made in 2019, and that can be built on in 2020.
Without the tireless leadership and support of Assemblymember Richard Bloom, Senator Henry Stern, and Assemblymember Laura Friedman, this bill would never have made it this far.
Stay tuned for more updates in the near future!
Update: May 6, 2019
AB 1788 has passed the Assembly but it still needs your help to pass the Senate and become law.
AB 1788 successfully passed the State Assembly with a vote of 50-16 on May 6, 2019! This bill, authored by Assemblymember Richard Bloom, is now in the State Senate where it will face several crucial votes. Please contact your Senator to urge them to vote YES on AB 1788.
Click here to find your Senator.
Once you've found your Senator, click on their name to navigate to their home page. Their phone number and contact information will be located on their page.
When you contact your Senator, ask them to Vote Yes on AB 1788! and
politely express that you care about California's wildlife and that you want to see them protected from
exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides.
For more details about AB 1788 and the harm rodenticides cause
read the original action alert below.
Revisit the original Action Alert:
Studies conducted by California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the National Park Service, the University of California and other scientists have found that approximately 80-90% of predators -- including mountain lions -- have been exposed to highly toxic second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGAR) that are used to control rodent populations. These harsh chemicals are working their way up the food chain and killing hundreds of wild animals that would control the rodent population naturally.
Anticoagulant rodenticide exposure interferes with blood clotting, resulting in uncontrollable bleeding and death -- even from a single feeding. Exposure can ripple through the food chain, spreading from smaller animals to larger predators, like mountain lions, that feed upon them. On February 10, 2019, researchers with the National Park Service recaptured mountain lion P-53 and treated her for mange -- a parasitic disease associated with anticoagulant rodenticides. While P-53 was able to recover, P-3 and P-4 died from uncontrolled bleeding caused by ingesting the toxins.
On March 21, 2019, P-47, a mountain lion being tracked by the National Park Service in the Santa Monica Mountains, was found dead. Liver tests determined that the 3-year-old lion had been exposed to six different anticoagulant compounds which ultimately resulted in his untimely death.
If passed, Assembly Bill (AB) 1788, the California Ecosystems Protection Act, would ban SGAR's throughout the state of California, with the exception of agricultural use or by special permit, ultimately protecting mountain lions and other wildlife. Thanks to the support of thousands of Californians over the past month, AB 1788 has passed in three Committees and is headed on to a floor vote by the entire California Assembly. And this next crucial step could happen as early as this week!
If AB 1788 is going to succeed, we need to TAKE ACTION today! Make your voice heard by calling your representative this Monday or Tuesday and tell them to vote YES on AB 1788.
Click here to find your representative!
Once you've found your Assemblymember, click on their name to navigate to their website. Their phone number is usually located near the bottom of the page.
When you call your representative, politely express that you care about California's wildlife and that you want to see them protected from exposure to anticoagulant rodenticides. Urge them to vote YES on AB 1788.
Thank you so very much for taking the time to help protect California's wildlife!
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About the Mountain Lion Foundation
The Mountain Lion Foundation, founded in 1986, is a national nonprofit organization protecting mountain lions and their habitat.
We believe that mountain lions are in peril.
Our nation is on the verge of destroying this apex species upon which whole ecosystems depend. Hunting mountain lions is morally unjustified, and killing lions to prevent conflicts is ineffective and dangerous.
There is a critical need to know more about the biology, behavior, and ecology of mountain lions, and governments should base decisions upon truthful science, valid data, and the highest common good. Conserving critical lion habitat is essential.
