Latest news with #AssemblyBill381
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Nevada lawmakers approve Reba's Law; it's now on the governor's desk
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Monday was the last day of the 120-day legislative session in Nevada and late that night, Nevada lawmakers passed Reba's Law, an animal cruelty measure. The proposal, Assembly Bill 381, was aimed at strengthening penalties against animal abusers after the death of an English bulldog who died in July 2024 after she was left sealed inside a plastic tub in 110-degree heat. She initially survived, but died days later as a result of heat stroke. Republican Assem. Melissa Hardy proposed the bill, which also establishes a wider range of penalties so prosecutors can more easily make the punishment fit the crime, she said. 'As I stated from the beginning, the intent was to seek justice for Reba and to be the voice for the voiceless, those that are harmed, abused and killed that can't speak for themselves,' Hardy said in April when the bill, which missed a deadline to move out of committee, was granted an excemption to be revived. Current law allows only misdemeanors to punish people involved in a wide variety of animal cruelty cases. The sentences range from one to four years in prison, even when the animal dies. This bill calls for tougher penalties in more extreme cases, including when an animal is killed or when a police animal is disabled or killed. The bill lists the punishment in both cases as imprisonment for a minimum term of not less than one year and a maximum term of not more than six years. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo had not signed the bill as of Tuesday afternoon. RELATED: Dog dies in extreme Las Vegas heat after woman says she fell asleep, forgot about dog for 20 hours Reba's death made national headlines in 2024 as people called for 'Justice for Reba.' In December, police arrested Issac Laushaul Jr., 32; and Markeisha Foster, 30, on animal abuse charges. A grand jury later voted to indict them on similar charges. On Monday, the 8 News Now Investigators reported that Laushaul wanted his trial to happen outside of Las Vegas because of intense media coverage. 'The media has followed this case/story extensively,' Laushaul's attorney wrote in court documents filed May 16, citing 8 News Now's reporting. 'Media coverage has included photographs, articles all about 'Reba,' interviews with individuals who know the defendant, coverage of in-court proceedings, pending motions, comments by prosecutors, police, and defense attorneys, and interviews and analyses of veterinarians as to 'how this could have all happened.'' The filing indicates Laushaul and his attorney believe they will be unable to find an impartial jury. While not asking for a venue change, Foster's attorney asked the judge to sever her case from Laushaul's. Clark County District Court Judge Ron Israel was scheduled to hear arguments on both issues Wednesday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Reba's Law resurrected after expiring in legislative committee
Assemblymember Brittney Miller. (Photo: Richard Bednarski/Nevada Current) Legislation that could land animal abusers in prison for as long as ten years passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee late Monday after it appeared to die last week without a vote before the Legislature's first deadline. 'Amendments come and go and change at rapid speed as we approach the deadline,' the committee's chairperson, Assemblywoman Brittany Miller said during Monday's work session, indicating her internal polling of committee members last week, as amendments were crafted in the final hours, did not bode well for the measure. 'At no time was there anyone who doesn't want to address the heinous crimes and acts of animal cruelty.' Miller said lawmakers 'don't always have time to process' amendments, adding the committee was able to obtain a waiver allowing the Assembly Judiciary to vote Assembly Bill 381 out of committee. The bill, Reba's Law, was 'able to be resurrected,' Miller said, resulting in a 'much more intense, robust bill than we had before.' The measure is named for Reba, a bulldog who died of heat stroke days after she was found in a sealed tote behind a business last summer. An amendment from the Nevada District Attorneys Association eliminated provisions that would have allowed for the prosecution of individuals who allow the abuse of an animal. The amendment also removes language requiring permission from the animal's owner or a veterinarian to euthanize an animal. It instead requires a peace officer to forfeit the animal to a local government if the owner does not request a hearing within a certain time frame, or cannot be found within five business days. The local government must then decide whether to euthanize the animal or transfer ownership to a rescue organization, shelter or individual. Causing the death of an animal would be deemed a category B felony, and could land offenders in prison for one to ten years and a fine of not more than $10,000. Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson complained last year he needed stiffer penalties to impose against animal abusers than those allowed by law. However, a review of cases prosecuted by Wolfson indicates he rarely seeks prison time, even in egregious cases. Lynn Whatford, a Clark County resident who cared for community cats in her neighborhood, spent much of the last year seeking justice for a colony of two dozen cats she says disappeared one by one. She suspects her neighbor killed them. Nevada Voters for Animals founder Gina Greisen told lawmakers that Wolfson declined to prosecute the case after Whatford discovered a trapped cat left in her neighbor's yard without protection from the sun and a high temperature of 114 degrees on July 25, the day the cat likely died. A veterinarian's post mortem examination noted 'it is clear (the cat) experienced extreme physical suffering in an inescapable situation, and that heat stroke is the likely cause of death in this case.' Whatford complained to Clark County Animal Control for months that the cats were disappearing and that she heard cries coming from her neighbor's yard. 'Animal Control told me I needed proof, yet the officer couldn't access my neighbor's property to get the proof. Animal Control referred me to Metro, but the detective wouldn't do anything until I had proof,' Whatford said during an interview in September. Greisen testified in support of the measure, but warned that without proper training and resources for police and animal control officers, stricter penalties will do little to help stem abuse and neglect. Las Vegas justice activist Leslie Turner testified in opposition and said the measure is 'just another way to funnel more people into the criminal legal system,' and does nothing to address the causes of cruelty, including 'mental health struggles, childhood trauma, cycles of violence, economic instability.' A one to ten year sentence, she noted, exceeds the one to six year sentence for child abuse. 'How can we justify punishing someone more harshly for harming an animal than for harming a child? What does this say about our priorities?' she asked in written testimony, adding lawmakers should instead invest in 'education, early intervention, and community-based mental health resources.'
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Blue-nosed pit bull left for dead recovers in foster home as ‘Reba's law' moves forward
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A blue-nosed pit bull named Cole who was left for dead last month after being dumped near a gutter on the historic west side has turned a corner. In March, Cole's skin was inflamed and blistered, his feet raw and swollen he was taken to a local animal hospital for treatment. Abandoned pit bull rescued from road, recovering from dehydration, infection Nearly a month later, 8 News Now checked up on Cole, who made it out of Horizon Ridge Animal Hospital alive, with his appetite back, and his skin healing from mange, Cole is now in a foster home. 'He's just in recovery mode, so Cole is getting weekly baths and treatment for his ears to make sure they treat the infections inside. It's just about him thriving and surviving in a loving home,' Lindsey Pinapfel with Vegas Pet Rescue Project explained. His foster mom, Donna Phan, saw that there was a need and stepped right in to help him. Phan shared with 8 News Now how serious animal cruelty is across the valley. 'It's unfortunate that a lot of people know about the abuse, but they don't speak up. I think silence is the biggest betrayal; Especially because these animals can't speak for themselves,' Phan said. 'Reba's law' revived by Nevada Legislature 'I'm really glad the community has come through, especially with Reba's Law,' she added. Reba's Law also known as Assembly Bill 381 would establish tougher penalties on acts of animal cruelty. Reba, an English bulldog died in July after being left sealed inside a plastic tub in 110-degree heat. She survived, but died days later as a result of heat stroke and shock, according to Vegas Pet Rescue Project. On Monday, the Nevada Assembly moved to revive the bill that missed the Friday deadline to move out of committee. An exemption granted to AB 381 keeps the bill alive, and it advanced on a unanimous vote. It will now go to the full Assembly, where it will be considered for passage. From there, Senate approval is necessary before it can become law. While Cole the pit bull still has a long road back to recovery, he will be up for adoption soon. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Reba's law' revived by Nevada Legislature
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Nevada Assembly moved quickly Monday to revive 'Reba's Law,' a bill that missed the Friday deadline to move out of committee. An exemption granted to Assembly Bill 381 keeps the bill alive, and it advanced on a unanimous vote. The bill inspired emotional support when it was first heard on March 19, and when the deadline came and went without passage, the public reacted with surprise. 'I'm very pleased to see that this bill will be moving forward,' Republican Assem. Melissa Hardy, who sponsored the bill, said on Monday. 'As I stated from the beginning, the intent was to seek justice for Reba and to be the voice for the voiceless, those that are harmed, abused and killed that can't speak for themselves.' Reba, an English bulldog that died in July after being left sealed inside a plastic tub in 110-degree heat. She survived, but died days later as a result of heat stroke and shock, according to Vegas Pet Rescue Project. 'Although we can't bring her back, this will hopefully provide accountability and save other animals that won't have to suffer as she did,' Hardy said. Democratic Assem. Brittney Miller, chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, explained how lawmakers brought AB381 back despite the passing of the deadline. 'Amendments come and go and change at rapid speed as we approach the deadline,' Miller said. As that plays out, committee chairs monitor which bills have enough votes to pass and which ones don't. 'This bill was never put up for a vote. What we were referring to is did we have the votes internally in order to vote it out of committee for committee passage,' she said. 'Sometimes amendments work in a different direction and members make decisions in different directions,' Miller said. In this case, an amendment that would have repealed part of existing law caused some supporters to withdraw their votes. Language that defined what constitutes abandoning an animal was specific about injured animals, and didn't include anything about the possibility that healthy animals can also be abandoned. The move to give the bill an exemption allowed the committee to pass it on Monday. AB381 now goes to the full Assembly, where it will be considered for passage. From there, Senate approval is necessary before it can become law. Miller said the bill, as it stands now, is more robust and will make a better law if it is passed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Reba's Law fails to move forward in the Nevada Legislature
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A bill that would have established tougher penalties on acts of animal cruelty failed to move forward during the legislative session. Assembly Bill 381 was not only about sending the worst offenders to prison but also about establishing a wider range of penalties so that prosecutors could have made the punishment fit the crime. Deadline arrives as Nevada lawmakers work furiously to pass bills out of committee Currently the law on such crimes only allows prosecutors to seek misdemeanors as punishments for people involved in a wide variety of animal cruelty cases. The sentences available range from one to four years in prison, even when the animal dies. AB381, which was nicknamed 'Reba's Law' would have imposed one to 10 years in prison in most extreme animal cruelty cases. However, the assembly judiciary committee did not vote on it ahead of Friday's deadline. 'Reba's Law' at Nevada Legislature toughens penalties for animal cruelty, torture Back in 2024, Reba, an English Bulldog died from a heatstroke, after she was found inside a sealed plastic tub in 110-degree heat. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
