WASHINGTON, DC (Oct. 21, 2010) — The Humane Society Legislative Fund, the nation’s leading political advocacy organization for animal welfare, announces its endorsement of Republican Mark Kirk for U.S. Senate, Democrat Pat Quinn for Illinois Governor, and a bipartisan slate of candidates for Illinois congressional races.

“Animal welfare is a shared value, and Illinois voters of all political parties want to protect animals from cruelty and abuse,” said Sara Amundson, executive director of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “We are grateful to the Democratic and Republican lawmakers who are standing up against cruelty in a very determined way, and we urge Illinois voters to support these humane candidates for election.”

U.S. Senate:

Mark Kirk has been a leading champion for animal protection during his five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. Among his many pro-animal actions, Mark Kirk has:

• Sponsored a bill to bar the interstate commerce in dangerous primates for the exotic pet trade, which passed the House of Representatives in 2009. (H.R. 80)
• Sponsored a bill to strengthen penalties for violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act and stop sales demonstrations of medical equipment on live animals, some provisions of which were adopted in the final Farm Bill enacted by Congress in 2008. (H.R. 2193—110th Congress)
• Co-sponsored a bill to require labeling of fur-trimmed garments so consumers are not deceived by false advertising. (H.R. 2480)
• Co-sponsored a bill to stop the slaughter of American horses for foreign delicacies. (H.R. 503)
• Co-sponsored a bill to ban trafficking in obscene animal “crush” videos. (H.R. 5566)
• Cosponsored a bill to strengthen the federal law against dogfighting and cockfighting. (P.L. 110-22)
• Supported bills to protect wildlife such as marine turtles, wild horses, cranes, and big cats. (H.R. 509, 1018, 388, 411)

Governor:

While serving as governor, Pat Quinn has:

• Signed a bill into law to increase penalties for being a spectator at a dogfight or cockfight. (H.B. 69)
• Signed a bill into law to require the addition of a bittering agent into antifreeze and engine coolant to protect pets, wildlife and children from being poisoned by the sweet-tasting liquid. (H.B. 4722)
• Signed a bill into law banning the private ownership of dangerous primates as exotic pets. (H.B. 4801)
• Signed a bill into law that requires pet shops to post information on or near the cages of dogs and cats for sale, including where the animals were bred and their medical history. (H.B. 5772)
• Signed a bill into law that effectively bans the use of carbon monoxide gas chambers in shelters and animal control facilities. The new law also bans outright the use of make-shift gas chambers using engine exhaust, so large-scale puppy mills will no longer be able to use these devices to kill dogs inhumanely. (S.B. 38)
• Signed a bill into law that requires animal abuse investigators to report any signs of child abuse and requires Department of Children and Family Services investigators to report signs of animal abuse.  (H.B. 562) 

In contrast, state senator Bill Brady sponsored a bill this year (S.B. 2999), that would have rolled back protections for pets by allowing for unlimited numbers of cats and dogs to be euthanized in a gas chamber.

U.S. House:

Additionally, HSLF has endorsed 17 candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, including 12 Democrats and 5 Republicans:

Illinois 1st Congressional District: Bobby Rush (D)
Illinois 2nd Congressional District: Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D)
Illinois 3rd Congressional District: Dan Lipinski (D)
Illinois 4th Congressional District: Luis Gutierrez (D)
Illinois 6th Congressional District: Peter Roskam (R)
Illinois 7th Congressional District: Danny Davis (D)
Illinois 8th Congressional District: Melissa Bean (D)
Illinois 9th Congressional District: Janice Schakowsky (D)
Illinois 10th Congressional District: Dan Seals (D)
Illinois 11th Congressional District: Deborah Halvorson (D)
Illinois 12th Congressional District: Jerry Costello (D)
Illinois 13th Congressional District: Judy Biggert (R)
Illinois 14th Congressional District: Bill Foster (D)
Illinois 15th Congressional District: Tim Johnson (R)
Illinois 17th Congressional District: Phil Hare (D)
Illinois 18th Congressional District: Aaron Schock (R)
Illinois 19th Congressional District: John Shimkus (R)

HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that endorses Democratic, Republican and Independent candidates. HSLF evaluates candidates based on two overarching criteria: their viability and their stands on animal protection policies. HSLF does not judge candidates on party affiliation or any other issue. For a complete list of endorsements, go to hslf.org/voter_guide.

Media Contact: Kristen Eastman, 301/721-6440, keastman@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.