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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Granite State in Middle of Pack for Animal Protection

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Wednesday, January 13, 2016   

CONCORD, N.H. - New Hampshire is stuck in the middle in a new report that ranks anti-cruelty and other animal-protection laws in all 50 states.

Lora Dunn, staff attorney in the Animal Legal Defense Fund's criminal-justice program, is co-author of the report, which compares the overall strength and comprehensiveness of each state's animal-welfare laws. She said New Hampshire ranks 26th, but could improve that national ranking by updating state laws.

"Veterinarians can report animal cruelty, but it's not required," she said. "So, we would like to see New Hampshire take that extra step for animal protection, because vets are sometimes the only ones who see animals suffering from neglect."

Dunn said the Granite State could take a cue from Maine, which ranks in the top three states in the nation for animal protection. Maine already has a law that requires veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse.

Dunn said there is a proven link between people who abuse animals and those who abuse other people. She said all 50 states have felony provisions for animal fighting, but New Hampshire could improve its statute by making animal fighting a federal racketeering or "RICO" offense. Dunn said her group tries to make it as easy as possible for states to make these updates.

"We also have model laws on our website," she said, "so if there is a place that you think that your state could specifically improve - for example, adding a RICO offense for animal fighting - we have model laws on our website as kind of a starting point."

The report ranks the top five states for strong animal welfare laws as Illinois, Oregon, Maine, California and Michigan. At the bottom of the list are Iowa, North Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The report is online at aldf.org.


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