WASHINGTON (Oct. 26, 2009)--Citing their strong leadership and career-long support of animal protection policies, the Humane Society Legislative Fund announced its endorsement of Gov. Jon Corzine, D, for reelection as New Jersey governor and Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D, for lieutenant governor in the Nov. 3 election.

“Governor Corzine and Senator Weinberg have consistently championed common-sense public policies to protect animals from cruelty and abuse,” said Michael Markarian, president of HSLF. “New Jersey voters who care about the humane treatment of animals should support the Corzine-Weinberg ticket.”

During Gov. Corzine’s first term, he worked with the Department of Environmental Protection to stop the controversial trophy-hunting season on New Jersey’s small population of black bears. Instead, Corzine and the DEP implemented a comprehensive plan to reduce bear-human conflicts using non-lethal and humane management. He also signed a number of animal protection bills into law, including legislation to:

• Prevent the inhumane and unsporting practice of “Internet hunting,” which involves the remote shooting of captive animals from pay-per-view Web sites (A. 764/S. 574).
• Enact a tax on the sale of fur clothing (A. 4714).
• Require emergency management plans to include animals in order to protect pets in disasters (A. 1929).
• Provide for voluntary contributions on income tax returns to the Community Food Pantry Fund and the Cat and Dog Spay/Neuter Fund (A. 2513).
• Impose a moratorium on the harvest and possession of horseshoe crabs (A. 2260).

Corzine’s running mate, Sen. Loretta Weinberg, has also been a leading champion for animal protection in the New Jersey legislature. During her time in the Assembly and Senate, she has:.

• Sponsored and successfully passed legislation permitting municipalities to set the amount of dog license fees (S. 695).
• Introduced legislation to ban trophy hunting of black bears.
• Introduced legislation to phase out the inhumane confinement of veal calves in small crates where they cannot even turn around.
• Sponsored a bill to strengthen and upgrade the state’s animal cruelty statute (S. 1516).

HSLF is a nonpartisan organization that evaluates candidates based only on a single criterion: where they stand on animal protection issues. HSLF has made endorsements in both states where gubernatorial races are being held this year, and previously announced that it has endorsed Bob McDonnell, R, for Virginia Governor.

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Media contact: Heather Sullivan: 301-548-7778, hsullivan@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 the Humane Society Legislative Fund, 519 C Street, NE Washington, DC 20002. This expenditure was not made with the cooperation or prior consent of, or in consultation with, or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate, or person or committee acting on behalf of the candidate.