The Honorable Judy Chu, Chair Assembly Appropriations Committee 
P.O. Box 942849 
Capitol Building Room 2114 
Sacramento, CA 94249-0049
April 25, 2006 

Re: AB 2110 (Hancock) Oppose

Dear Assembly Member Chu:

I am writing to urge you to strongly oppose AB 2110 (Hancock), which would make it a 
crime, punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a $1000 fine, to hunt rabbits, hares or 
foxes by means of "open field coursing." This bill, which lacks any biological basis, 
could cost taxpayers $500,000 to $1,000,000 PER YEAR to prosecute legitimate hunters.

If just 50 hunters were arrested each year, at a cost of $5,000 each, the cost would be 
$250,000 per year. If those hunters were prosecuted, the cost could run into the 
MILLIONS. This does not include the cost of imprisonment! AB2110 is poorly written 
which means EVERY TIME law officers see people in a field with more than one dog, 
they will have to stop and observe the people and dogs. AB2110 says it is illegal to have 
more than one dog loose in a field where there are rabbits, hares, or foxes that the dog 
could hunt and kill. As there are rabbits, hares, and foxes in almost every field, park, 
desert and beach dune in California, officers will be forced to arrest all the people in the 
field if more than one dog is LOOSE.

The District Attorney would then have to determine if the people arrested were:
1. Exercising their dogs;
2. Hunting rabbits, hares, or foxes with more than one dog;
3. Competing with their dogs.

In the cases of 2 and 3, the District Attorney would then be forced to prosecute at a cost 
of approximately $65,000 for each person. It is simply ridiculous, with all the problems 
facing our state, that a bill like AB2110 would even be considered. Our law enforcement 
officers do NOT have the time, nor does the state have the resources to spend millions of 
dollars prosecuting people who are legitimate hunters licensed and regulated by the 
Department of Fish and Game.

I therefore strongly urge you to oppose this measure.

Sincerely,
(Your Name/Organization)
Cc: Members, Assembly Appropriations Committee 
The Honorable Loni Hancock, Assembly Member, 14th District