At least for a little longer...
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jan...?news-breaking
Published: January 2, 2008
Bestiality isn't a crime right now in Florida.
So a St. Petersburg lawmaker has filed a bill for this year's legislative session that would make it a first-degree felony for people to have sex with animals.
Rep. Frank Peterman, D-St. Petersburg, crafted the bill to prevent anyone from knowingly committing bestiality, knowingly causing or aiding another person to have sex with an animal, or knowingly permitting sex with an animal at a property under his control.
Sen. Nan Rich filed an identical bill based on Peterman's request. She said she thinks there is a direct correlation between animal abuse and child abuse.
Rich said bestiality is a serious crime that deserves strong consequences.
"Property taxes and insurance are issues that are incredibly important to all Floridians, but the moral values that we place on issues are also important," the Sunrise Democrat said. "And I think this is a moral issue. We don't stop passing legislation that's good public policy just because we're dealing with insurance and property taxes."
The bestiality bill was pitched to Peterman at the behest of the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, Rich said.
Rich, who doesn't own a pet, said it's important to outlaw sexual conduct or sexual contact with animals.
Sexual conduct means touching or fondling ? either directly or through clothing ? of an animal's sexual organs or anus for the purpose of a person's sexual gratification, the bill states.
Sexual contact means "contact, however slight, between the mouth, sex organ, or anus of a person and the sex organ or anus of an animal, or any penetration, however slight, of any part of the body of the person into the sex organ or anus of an animal, or any penetration of the sex organ or anus of the person into the mouth of the animal," for a person's gratification, according to the bill.
The bill includes anyone who "knowingly engages in organizing, promoting, conducting, advertising, aiding, abetting, participating in as an observer, or performing any service" to further the act of bestiality.
People also aren't allowed to photograph or film animal sex for the purpose of sexual gratification, or sell or transmit images of animal sex, according to the bill.
If the bill becomes law, having sex with an animal would result in a harsher penalty than committing an act to animal that results in that animal's "cruel death, or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering."
Rich said there's room for compromise on her bestiality bill and that she might consider lessening the punishment in order for it to pass.
The bill would take effect Oct. 1.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/jan...?news-breaking
Published: January 2, 2008
Bestiality isn't a crime right now in Florida.
So a St. Petersburg lawmaker has filed a bill for this year's legislative session that would make it a first-degree felony for people to have sex with animals.
Rep. Frank Peterman, D-St. Petersburg, crafted the bill to prevent anyone from knowingly committing bestiality, knowingly causing or aiding another person to have sex with an animal, or knowingly permitting sex with an animal at a property under his control.
Sen. Nan Rich filed an identical bill based on Peterman's request. She said she thinks there is a direct correlation between animal abuse and child abuse.
Rich said bestiality is a serious crime that deserves strong consequences.
"Property taxes and insurance are issues that are incredibly important to all Floridians, but the moral values that we place on issues are also important," the Sunrise Democrat said. "And I think this is a moral issue. We don't stop passing legislation that's good public policy just because we're dealing with insurance and property taxes."
The bestiality bill was pitched to Peterman at the behest of the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, Rich said.
Rich, who doesn't own a pet, said it's important to outlaw sexual conduct or sexual contact with animals.
Sexual conduct means touching or fondling ? either directly or through clothing ? of an animal's sexual organs or anus for the purpose of a person's sexual gratification, the bill states.
Sexual contact means "contact, however slight, between the mouth, sex organ, or anus of a person and the sex organ or anus of an animal, or any penetration, however slight, of any part of the body of the person into the sex organ or anus of an animal, or any penetration of the sex organ or anus of the person into the mouth of the animal," for a person's gratification, according to the bill.
The bill includes anyone who "knowingly engages in organizing, promoting, conducting, advertising, aiding, abetting, participating in as an observer, or performing any service" to further the act of bestiality.
People also aren't allowed to photograph or film animal sex for the purpose of sexual gratification, or sell or transmit images of animal sex, according to the bill.
If the bill becomes law, having sex with an animal would result in a harsher penalty than committing an act to animal that results in that animal's "cruel death, or excessive or repeated infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering."
Rich said there's room for compromise on her bestiality bill and that she might consider lessening the punishment in order for it to pass.
The bill would take effect Oct. 1.
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