By Jordan Gerard | Arizona Capitol Times
Key Points:
- A bill that would have offered more protections for the Salt River horses died without a vote in the Senate
- It would have directed genetic studies on the herd, the first of its kind in Arizona
- Advocates say the governor could direct those studies at any time instead of waiting for legislation
Arizona’s environmental advocates are mourning the recent death of a striker amendment that would have allocated more protections and scientific study for the state’s beloved Salt River horses.
Senate Bill 1199 would have put a three-year moratorium on the removal of any Salt River horses from wild herds unless absolutely necessary to prevent or alleviate suffering of a horse. Rep. Cody Reim, R-Scottsdale, who replaced Joseph Chaplik in Legislative District 3, filed the bill as a strike-everything amendment in March, right as the last regular committee meetings took place.
Reim said it’s a little unclear as to why the bill wasn’t heard in the Senate, but said a senator did not concur with it coming to the floor for a vote. That didn’t happen, despite other senators helping him whip votes, he said.
