This important update is on status of two bills before the Connecticut General Assembly, “An Act Concerning Monk Parakeets” and “An Act Concerning Limited Sunday Hunting.”

The first bill, which would protect Monk Parakeets from being captured or killed, could be in trouble if it is not approved by the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee. H.B. 5804, “An Act Concerning Monk Parakeets and Hearings Prior to the Euthanization of Dogs,” has been given the designation File No. 404. On March 20, the General Assembly’s Environment Committee unanimously approved the bill, however, on April 11 the bill was sent to the Judiciary Committee.

Please contact the Judiciary Committee Co-Chairs Rep. Mike Lawlor (MLawlor99@juno.com) and Senator Andrew McDonald (Mcdonald@senatedems.ct.gov) and urge them to quickly vote yes on File 404 so it can be voted on the House floor. Please pass this urgent message along, especially to East Haven residents living in Rep. Lawlor’s District, and Stamford and Darien residents living in Senator McDonald’s District. Also, contact your own state legislators to support this bill.

Also on April 11, the second bill, which would allow bow-hunting on private land on Sunday, was passed by the Senate. S.B. 605, “An Act Concerning Limited Sunday Hunting,” will now go to the House. The bill title implies the Sunday deer-killing will be limited to private land away from public view, but deer shot with arrows on private land will run up to two miles before they die. We already see wounded deer flee into residential roads and neighborhoods six days a week; Connecticut residents shouldn’t be subjected to this harrowing scene any day of the week ““ let alone everyday of the week, five months out of the year.

Please urge your Representative to vote against S.B. 605. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection has worked to continually liberalize state hunting laws each year since the passage of the Deer Management Act in 1974. Hunting in the state needs to be eliminated, not expanded. You can find your Representative by looking up your town at cga.ct.gov or locate your representative by zip code at Vote-Smart.org.