A hearing on Massachusetts Senate Bill 1706 has been scheduled for Monday, February 13 before the Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development. This bill would ban the use of certain elephant training tools, including tethers and the elephant guide (or ankus). If this bill is passed into law, it would prevent Ringling Bros. and other circuses from visiting Massachusetts by preventing the use of widely accepted elephant management tools.

SB 1706 was introduced by Senator Robert Hedlund (R-Weymouth) and is similar to the Senator's anti-circus efforts in past legislative sessions. The opposition efforts of Circus Fans and other industry supporters have been very valuable in defeating this legislation in the past, and we are asking for your help again this session.

Letters, e-mails, and phone calls in opposition to SB 1706 are very much needed. The contact information for each member of the Tourism & Arts Committee is listed below. Communications from circus supporters who live in a Committee member's legislative district are especially helpful. In addition, if anyone is interested in speaking at the February 13th Committee hearing, please contact Mary Lou Kelly at mkelly@feldinc.com to get further details.

True animal experts know that a safe and secure environment is the only acceptable and successful method of training any animal, including elephants. Senate Bill 1706 is only directed at circuses because its supporters want to ban the circus, not protect animals. The elephant guide, sometimes called a bull hook or ankus, have been used by elephant handlers for thousands of years. Elephant handlers in zoos, nature preserves and circuses throughout the world use the guide as an extension of the trainer's arm along with a voice command.

Further, the guide is a proven and humane husbandry tool accepted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which regulates all zoos and circuses, and is approved by the International Elephant Foundation, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Elephant Managers Association.

The care and handling of all animals in circuses is already subject to strict federal, state and local animal welfare and cruelty laws. All circuses and traveling exhibitors that perform in Massachusetts, including Ringling Bros., are inspected by state authorities and receive unannounced inspections by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure compliance with the federal Animal Welfare Act.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development
Note: mailing addresses are all Boston, MA 02133. The Committee office phone is (617) 722-2015.

Senate Chair

Sen. Eileen Donoghue (D-Lowell)
eileen.donoghue@masenate.gov
Phone: (617) 722-1630
State House, Room 112

Senate Vice-Chair

Sen. Benjamin Brackett Downing (D-Pittsfield)
Benjamin.Downing@masenate.gov
Phone: (617) 722-1625
FAX: (617) 722-1523
State House, Room 413F

House Chair

Rep. Sarah K. Peake (D-Provincetown)
Sarah.Peake@mahouse.gov
Phone: (617) 722-2015
FAX: (617) 626-2239
State House, Room 195

House Vice-Chair

Rep. Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham)
Paul.McMurtry@mahouse.gov
Phone: (617) 722-2015
FAX: (617) 722-2353
State House, Room 279

Committee Members:

Sen. Sonia R. Chang-Diaz (D-Jamaica Plain)
Sonia.Chang-Diaz@masenate.gov
Phone: (617) 722-1673
State House, Room 413C

Sen. Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge)
Richard.Moore@masenate.gov
Phone: (617) 722-1420
FAX: (617) 722-1944
State House, Room 111

Sen. Bruce E. Tarr (R-Gloucester)
Bruce.Tarr@masenate.gov
Phone: (617) 722-1600
FAX: (617) 722-1310
State House, Room 308

Sen. Daniel A. Wolf (D-Harwich)
daniel.wolf@masenate.gov
Phone: (617) 722-1570
State House, Room 511B

Rep. Gailanne M. Cariddi (D-North Adams)
Gailanne.Cariddi@mahouse.gov
Phone: (617) 722-2130
FAX: (617) 626-0143
State House, Room 130

Rep. Sean Garballey (D-Arlington)
Sean.Garballey@mahouse.gov
Phone: (617) 722-2090
FAX: (617) 722-2850
State House, Room 540

Rep. Steven S. Howitt (R-Seekonk)
steven.howitt@mahouse.gov
Phone: (617) 722-2305
FAX: (617) 626-0211
State House, Room 237

Rep. Charles A. Murphy (D-Burlington)
Charles.Murphy@mahouse.gov
Phone: 617-722-2460
FAX: 617-722-2709
State House, Room 446

Rep. William Pignatelli (D-Lee)
rep.smitty@mahouse.gov
Phone: (617) 722-2582
FAX: (617) 722-2879
State House, Room 448

Rep. David B. Sullivan (D-Fall River)
David.Sullivan@mahouse.gov
Phone: (617) 722-2070
FAX: (617) 722-2821
State House, Room 473G

Rep. Cleon H. Turner (D-Dennis)
Cleon.Turner@mahouse.gov
Phone: (617) 722-2090
FAX: (617) 626-0542
State House, Room 540

Rep. David T. Vieira (R-Teaticket)
David.Vieira@mahouse.gov
Phone: (617) 722-2810
State House, Room 167

Rep. Christopher Walsh (D-Framingham)
Chris.Walsh@mahouse.gov
Phone: (617) 722-2014
FAX: (617) 626-0291
State House, Room 39