Report summarizes state legislation and elections

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​State legislatures passed a number of bills in 2014 that impact animals and veterinary medicine, and 18 veterinarians are serving in state legislatures in 2015, according to a year-end report from the AVMA State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Department.

The report provides a summary of key bills and regulations considered or adopted in 2014, a more comprehensive review of the bills and regulations tracked by the AVMA, a few court decisions relevant to veterinary medicine, and a few important developments in local government. The AVMA State Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Department sent about 1,000 alerts regarding governmental affairs to state VMAs in 2014.

According to the report, all 13 veterinarian state legislators up for re-election in 2014 won their races. They are Drs. Joe Seng, Iowa; Dan Brown, Missouri; Steve Katz, New York; Bill Rabon, North Carolina; Trudy Wade, North Carolina; Lee Denney, Oklahoma; Brian Renegar, Oklahoma; Charles “Doc” Anderson, Texas; Jimmie Don Aycock, Texas; John Bartholomew, Vermont; Kathy Haigh, Washington; Dean Knudson, Wisconsin; and Fred Emerich, Wyoming.

Dr. Henry Vaupel was elected to his first term in Michigan’s legislature. Drs. Krayton Kerns, Montana, and John Mathis, Utah, retired from their state legislatures.

The year-end report is available here. AVMA members may subscribe to a monthly email newsletter on state legislation by clicking the button on the right side.