A day after Michael Vick was sentenced to prison for dogfighting, a state senator called a news conference for an update on legislation against the activity in Georgia.
Republican Chip Rogers from Woodstock says he hopes the Vick media focus will push his dogfighting bill over the top in January’s legislative session.
Rogers’ bill would make it a felony to stage, promote, bet on, or watch fights in Georgia. It would also raise the financial penalty. Currently, someone has to be caught at a fight to face prosecution. And the penalty Rogers says, is too low.
"If you’re only going to fine the person, if caught and convicted 5-thousand, and they could potentially win 20 or 30-thousand…as you can see, it may be a good risk on the person involved in this type of activity to go ahead and do it. We want to take that risk away, and we want the penalty to be severe".
Rogers wants a fine of 20-thousand dollars and prison time for a 1st offense.
He says Georgia’s current dogfighting laws are some of the weakest in the nation.
Republican Chip Rogers from Woodstock says he hopes the Vick media focus will push his dogfighting bill over the top in January’s legislative session.
Rogers’ bill would make it a felony to stage, promote, bet on, or watch fights in Georgia. It would also raise the financial penalty. Currently, someone has to be caught at a fight to face prosecution. And the penalty Rogers says, is too low.
"If you’re only going to fine the person, if caught and convicted 5-thousand, and they could potentially win 20 or 30-thousand…as you can see, it may be a good risk on the person involved in this type of activity to go ahead and do it. We want to take that risk away, and we want the penalty to be severe".
Rogers wants a fine of 20-thousand dollars and prison time for a 1st offense.
He says Georgia’s current dogfighting laws are some of the weakest in the nation.
