Pace Elephant Protection Legislation Clears Major Hurdle in State Legislature

A bill crafted by students in Pace University’s Environmental Policy Clinic that would ban elephants from performing in New York was passed by the New York State Senate in the closing days of the legislative session.

The Elephant Protection Act, which would ban elephants from performing in entertainment acts in the state, is the first bill of its kind to be enacted by the Republican senate, where it was sponsored by Senator Terrence Murphy. And though the state Assembly version introduced by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin did not make it to the Assembly floor, both sponsors said that Senate passage was the bill’s largest obstacle and cleared the way for full enactment in the next session.

“We are encouraged by the bill’s passage in the Senate, and extremely proud of the initiative taken by our students,’’ said Michelle Land, director of Pace University’s Academy for Applied Environmental Studies. “Not only did our students gain practical experience writing and lobbying for legislation, a goal of the Environmental Policy Clinic, but they learned an important lesson: that citizen involvement is key to making our government work.”

Students of Pace’s Dyson College Clinic worked under the supervision of co-faculty John Cronin and Michelle Land, and traveled to Albany to meet with members of the Assembly, Senate, and their staff, on behalf of their proposed legislation. The bill is aimed at heading off physical abuse, harmful living conditions and chronic isolation to which elephants are subjected in captivity. Students drafted the legislation at the request of Senator Murphy and Assemblywoman Paulin, and presented it with a petition signed by more than 1,100 students, faculty and staff, at a news conference in May.

The Senate voted 62-0 on June 17 to pass the Elephant Protection Act, which also exempted nationally accredited zoos and aquariums, wildlife sanctuaries and nonprofit environmental education programs; and would impose a $10,000 per violation penalty for entertainment acts not in compliance.

"Many of us are unaware that behind the bright lights of the circus tent performing elephants have been subjected to horrible mistreatment and abuse," said Senator Murphy. "I was appalled when I heard performing elephants are often chained up to 22 hours a day or stabbed to get them to obey, and I was encouraged that a group of students from Pace sought to right this injustice. As a lover of all animals, I believe it is our duty to protect them."

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin said, "The students did a tremendous job in drafting and advocating for the Elephant Protection Act in Albany. While I am disappointed the bill did not pass the Assembly, I will continue working to make sure that elephants are protected from this type of abuse in New York State. The students' efforts this year have laid the groundwork for future success."

The Environmental Policy Clinic trains undergraduate students through a program of learning and service that encourages students to apply their Pace University education to the solution of real-world problems in the professional world. The program is part of the school’s Dyson College Institute for Sustainability and the Environment, which brings together faculty, students and programs throughout the University that involve the environment and sustainability issues.

About Dyson College Institute of Sustainability and the Environment: DCISE was established to address major issues in sustainability, resilience, the growing urbanization of the 21st century and the impact of these changes on the global environment, through multidisciplinary programs encompassing research, policy-making, education, and building greater community awareness and consensus on how to manage these issues.

About Dyson College of Arts and Sciences: Pace University’s liberal arts college, Dyson College offers more than 50 programs, spanning the arts and humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and pre-professional programs (including pre-medicine, pre-veterinary, and pre-law), as well as numerous courses that fulfill core curriculum requirements. The College offers access to numerous opportunities for internships, cooperative education and other hands-on learning experiences that complement in-class learning in preparing graduates for career and graduate/professional education choices.

About Pace University: Since 1906, Pace has educated thinking professionals by providing high quality education for the professions on a firm base of liberal learning amid the advantages of the New York metropolitan area. A private university, Pace has campuses in Lower Manhattan and Westchester County, N.Y., enrolling nearly 13,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs in its Lubin School of Business, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health Professions, School of Education, School of Law, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. www.pace.edu