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Debate over animal cruelty penalty leads House to amend and circle bill for drafting fixes
Summary
Representative Scott Wyatt's animal cruelty bill drew lengthy debate on exemptions and penalties. Lawmakers argued whether severe forms of torture should be a felony; an amendment to reduce the proposed third-degree felony to a class A misdemeanor passed and sponsors then asked to circle the bill for technical drafting corrections.
SALT LAKE CITY — Debate on House Bill 61, which revises animal cruelty law and proposes a new offense for torturing animals, highlighted competing goals on Feb. 3 in the Utah House: stronger penalties to prevent escalation to violence versus caution about expanding felony counts and the potential fiscal and corrections impacts.
Sponsor Representative Scott Wyatt described the bill as focusing on protecting people by intervening before animal abuse escalates to violence against humans, saying the legislation is not "an animal rights bill" but a "people bill" intended to address severe…
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