PENNSYLVANIA (WHP) — A Pennsylvania Senator announced she plans to introduce a bill that will strengthen wildlife protections from acts of animal cruelty, according to a legal memo.
Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-18) plans to introduce a bill that will allow the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to revoke or deny hunting licenses for individuals who engage in the “torture or cruel treatment of wildlife” or who have been convicted of animal cruelty.
In the memo, Boscola reflected on a viral video from several years ago showing a pair of Pennsylvania teenagers shooting a deer before stomping on its legs, kicking it, and ripping off one of its antlers.
The footage drew the ire of several, leading to charges being filed in 2020. As a result, a gap in the law was exposed as it stands, according to Boscola. Currently, the PGC does not have the authority to revoke or deny hunting licenses on the following grounds.
The overwhelming majority of Pennsylvania hunters are responsible, ethical sportsmen who have no desire to share the field with individuals who behave as depicted in that video.
Boscola said the goal is to ensure the PGC does not have to allow that type of conduct in the sport field.
She urged her colleagues to join her in this effort, claiming lawmakers have a responsibility to ensure Pennsylvania’s wildlife are humanely treated and those who fail to do so will face meaningful consequences.
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The bill has not yet been submitted for introduction.