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Senate Judiciary defers decision on HB 698 after divided testimony on tougher animal‑cruelty penalties
Summary
After hours of testimony from rescue groups, farmers and legal advocates, the Senate Committee on Judiciary deferred a vote on House Bill 698 — which would raise penalties for certain animal‑cruelty offenses — to allow clarifications about whether service animals and animals raised for consumption are covered.
Chair Rhodes, presiding over the Senate Committee on Judiciary, deferred action on House Bill 698 on Friday after lengthy and sharply divided testimony about whether increasing penalties for animal cruelty would improve enforcement or create unintended consequences.
The bill, and a proposed SD1 that narrows the change to pet animals, prompted emotional testimony from animal‑welfare groups and rescuers who described graphic cases of abuse and urged stronger penalties. "This bill is a step in that direction," said Stephanie Kendrick of the Hawaiian Humane Society, supporting SD1's focus on pets as a practical compromise. Several witnesses, including Humane Society staff, described cases they said were downgraded or dismissed in court and said tougher statutes…
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