March 09, 2022

Bill to toughen cockfighting law delivered another setback - Johnson City Press (subscription)

Efforts to make the penalty for fighting game roosters a felony in Tennessee has been derailed again this year.

The state House Criminal Justice Subcommittee has sent legislation to toughen the state’s cockfighting laws to a summer study committee.

State Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, is the sponsor of legislation that he had hoped would bring an end to Tennessee’s reputation for having one of the weakest cockfighting laws in the nation.

He said moving the bill to the study committee is an effort to “provide cover” for legislators who don’t want to be on the record as having cast an actual vote on the cockfighting issue.

“I don’t think they (House members) are actually going to take up a study and look at the issue,” Lundberg said. “This is the House’s way of not dealing with the legislation.”

Putting Teeth In The Law

Under current law, it is a misdemeanor offense for a person to “be knowingly present, as a spectator, at any place or building where preparations are being made for an exhibition for the fighting, baiting or injuring of any animal.”

Those convicted of the Class A misdemeanor can now face imprisonment of up to 11 months and 29 days, a maximum fine of $2,500 or both.

Lundberg’s bill would have made cockfighting a Class E felony, the same penalty that applied before lawmakers changed the law more than two decades ago. It also looked to establish a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 when such offense involves a cockfight attended by spectators.

Senate Bill 0168/House Bill 1911 called for changing the penalties from the current Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony for:

• Owning, possessing or training any bird for the purpose of cockfighting;

• Causing for amusement, sport or personal gain a cock to fight or injure another animal;

• Permitting any of the aforementioned acts to be conducted on any premises under a person’s charge or control.

Making Small Strides

While Lundberg has made some progress in toughening state penalties for being a spectator at cockfights, he has had little success in making the actual act a felony in Tennessee.

In recent years, similar cockfighting bills sponsored by the Sullivan County lawmaker have stalled in the state House Agriculture Committee. Lundberg had hoped the outcome would be different in this legislative session because his bill was slated to be heard by the state House Judiciary Committee.

He said Wednesday the subcommittee’s decision to move the legislation to the study committee has once again left his bill dead on arrival.

Tennessee has long been identified as a key destination in what the Humane Society of the United States has called the “cockfighting corridor,” which includes Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky.

Lundberg said these activities have paved the way for organized crime, gambling and other vice in rural communities.

“We want people to come to Tennessee, but this is not one of the reasons,” Lundberg said.

Law enforcement officials also say Tennessee has become a major exporter of fighting roosters to locations around the world. While cockfighting is banned in all 50 states, it remains legal in U.S. territories like Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

About

Bill to toughen cockfighting law delivered another setback - Johnson City Press (subscription)

Putting Teeth In The Law

Making Small Strides

Recommended Videos