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Lawmakers Consider Animal Cruelty Felony

South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Lucas Lentsch says the state needs to beef up the penalties against animal cruelty.   
 
Lentsch says a coalition of many interests is backing the bill.  He says legislation is set to be debated in Pierre this year.   
 
 “In the state of South Dakota we do not have a felony penalty for animal cruelty.   We are the last state to address such an issue.  And we feel it's best on behalf of agriculture to make sure that that if we’re going to go down this road and propose legislation that agriculture is at the table, and that we’re looking at all the diverse interests of South Dakota,” says Lentsch.

Lentsch says the Department of Agriculture will be on hand in Pierre during the upcoming legislative session.   Meanwhile, on the federal level Lentsch stresses the critical need for congress to pass a Farm Bill.  He says a comprehensive Farm Bill will give Ag producers more stability.