“HUMANE STATE” License Plate Fund
UPDATE: The bill passed in the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on 2/15/18, but with an amendment. HSUS has been removed as the recipient of the funds and replaced with the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey. Nice job to all those who voiced opposition and educated legislators!
There is a bill (S883) seeking to provide funding to the New Jersey chapter of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The state chapters are nothing more than targeted tentacles from the national animal rights group squeezing the freedoms from animal lovers state by state. And now, New Jersey legislators want to fund them!
This bill which sounds oh-so-good if you only read the title, like all of the animal rights written bills, is actually bad for responsible animal owners. Why? Because it will provide funding for HSUS which is the leading and most well-funded animal rights organization in the world and they are working to remove all animal from our lives. That means no more pets and no more animal agriculture. If you believe HSUS has another agenda, you are mistaken.
Be aware that HSUS and their state chapters run zero dog and cat shelters. Local humane societies are completely separate and are not funded by HSUS. HSUS capitalizes on the name humane society which existed many decades before HSUS was founded. Their name is simply misleading.
Summary:
- Monies from these license plates shall be sent to the Humane Society of the United States – New Jersey (run by HSUS);
- up to the first $150,000 goes to the implementation of the program;
- these Humane Society of the United States – New Jersey funding license plates will be advertised on the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission website and other places;
- tax dollars and state funds will not be used for certain initial costs (such as design and production) but can be used for other initial and future costs.
While the bill states that monies are “to be used to provide grants to county societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals for the shelter and care of animals,” we must remember that it is HSUS who gets to decide where the money goes, not the State or the people. HSUS has a track record of misleading the public and being creative with reporting exactly where the money goes. Far more money goes to payroll, pension plans, and fundraising than ever goes to helping animals.
NOTE: There is a bill in the Assembly (A2197) which is nearly identical. The funding from that bill goes to the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey (AWFNJ), rather than HSUS-NJ.
Read S883 at www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/S1000/883_I1.HTM.
It has now been referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The hearing is February 15 at 1:00 PM EST!
TAKE ACTION by doing one or, preferably, all of the below.
Remember to be civil and professional at all times.
- FAX letters (samples below) to their offices (see below for information).
- Email the Committee Members (see below for more).
- Call Committee Members. You can find phone numbers by clicking their names under Budget and Appropriations Committee at www.njleg.state.nj.us/committees/Committees.asp?House=S.
- Send emails through Committee members’ websites. You can do this by clicking their names under Budget and Appropriations Committee at www.njleg.state.nj.us/committees/Committees.asp?House=S and then click “Contact Your Legislator(s).”
- In addition to contacting Committee Members, New Jersey residents should also contact your applicable Senators and Assembly Representatives. You may find their names and contact details on the right side of the page at www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp. You will find multiple ways to search. You may need to scroll down.
Copy/paste email list: EXPIRED
Sample Letter Headings or Email Subject Lines
- NO to S883 Humane State Fraud
- STOP S883 Humane State Scandal
- S883 is Bad for New Jersey and Pets
- Do Not Listen to the Humane State Plate Lies
Sample Letter
Dear Senator,
As an animal welfare advocate, I ask you to vote NO to S883 to establish the “Humane State License Plate Fund.” While this sounds all well and good, money from this fund will go to fund a radical animal rights group, the Humane Society of the United States, which is working to remove all pets from our lives.
New Jersey will aid in misleading well-meaning donors who want to help animals. Rather than money going to animals in need, HSUS will use this money to further their animal rights agenda to remove all animals from our lives and to fatten their bank account.
Please learn the truth about these fraudulent animal rights groups posing as animal welfare organizations. Supporting them, along with any of their state chapters, is bad for New Jersey, our residents, our animals, and your political career. Thank you and have a good day.
Sincerely,
