Committee rejects bill that would narrow penalties for cockfighting after lengthy testimony

An Arkansas Senate committee voted down HB1611 on Wednesday after hours of sometimes heated testimony from prosecutors, animal-control officers, humane-society officials and rooster breeders.

Senator Justin Kroll, who presented the measure, described HB1611 as a "farmer—uel protection bill" that would stop people who raise game fowl for shows or breeding from being charged with a felony merely for owning certain birds. "This is a farmer's protection bill," Kroll said, urging the committee to protect owners from losing birds and livelihood when they are accused but not proven to have promoted fighting.

Opponents said the bill's language would substantially narrow existing prohibitions and could make prosecutions more difficult. Cole Wakefield, executive director of Good Shepherd Humane Society, told the committee the current statutes and enforcement practices already protect legitimate breeders and that the draft bill's undefined terms such as "organized" would create legal gray areas that bad actors could exploit. "This bill uses imprecise and undefined language such as the term organized," Wakefield said, and could "tie the hands of law enforcement."

Prosecuting attorneys who testified said the current statute requires proof of intent and does not compel euthanasia of seized birds as a matter of law, although they reported that birds have sometimes been euthanized in past raids due to shelter capacity. David Etheridge, an elected prosecutor, said a state statute (cited in testimony as §5-62-120) directs that seized animals be placed with a proper custodian or animal-control agency. "The statute does not require them to be euthanized," Etheridge told the committee.

Blake Pierce of the Oklahoma Game Fowl Commission, identified at the hearing as representing game-fowl breeders, said the bill ims to protect farmers who raise birds for shows and breeding and asserted most owners are law-abiding. "All this bill does is protects people that raise and sell these chickens," Pierce said. Kevin Chambers, an animal-welfare investigator with Animal Wellness Action, testified the Oklahoma Game Fowl Commission is a front group for cockfighters and said the Arkansas measure was written to weaken enforcement.

After testimony and questioning, the committee took a voice vote on a motion to pass the bill. The motion — offered by Senator Johnson and seconded by Senator Rice — did not carry. The committee chair noted the result by saying, "Senator Kroll, you did not pass your bill."

Authorities referenced at the hearing included Arkansas statute 5-62-120 (unlawful animal fighting) and the draft replacement section cited in testimony as a proposed 5-62-128. Witnesses and committee members raised concerns about removing language that criminalizes the sale, purchase or training of animals for fighting and about leaving the term "organized" undefined.

The committee record shows several participants urged narrow drafting changes if the bill were to be revived. Prosecutors and animal-control officials called for clear definitions and for retained tools — such as seizure and forfeiture authority — that they said are necessary to investigate and prosecute organized animal fighting.

The bill failed to advance; proponents may refile or modify language for a future session.