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A new bill passed by the US House of Representatives would ban private ownership of big cats – potentially preventing the emergence of new successors to “Tiger King”.
The law, which was dubbed the “Tiger King” bill after the viral Netflix show of the same name, was passed by the US House of Representatives on Thursday with a vote of 272-114.
The show’s star Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka Joe Exotic, is currently serving 22 years in prison for various wildlife crimes, as well as one charge of vicarious murder.
The bill explicitly targets those who would otherwise attempt to claim the vacant throne, according to the Beltway Roll Call publication.
“We bring the #BigCatPublicSafetyAct to end these practices for a vote, and I’m happy to have helped move it forward on our committee, ” tweeted Democrat Jared Huffman, who was featured in “Tiger King”.
The law was first submitted to the Natural Resources Committee in September 2019, six months before Netflix launched its documentary about the exploits of Maldonado-Passage.
The Big Cat Public Safety Act – the official title of the bill – would effectively prohibit breeding and owning a large cat without a license from the United States Department of Agriculture.
The bill drew criticism from Republicans, saying it would hurt small family operations.
“This bill, contrary to what I have heard so far, is not about protecting the public from big cats,” Utah Representative Rob Bishop said during the brief indoor debate.
“This is about harming small family zoos across the country. It’s kind of a power game. “
Other House Republicans have said the bill was an attempt for House Democrats to ignore the continued suffering of small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Another week in Congress, another week of @SpeakerPelosi delaying relief for small businesses and American workers. What is more on the agenda? Legalization of Marijuana and the “Tiger King” Bill ” tweeted Minnesota Republican Jim Hagedorn.
Carole Baskin, a longtime Joe Exotic rival who runs a big cat sanctuary in Florida, touted her involvement with the bill in a post on her website, writing that her current husband was in weekly conversation with members. of the coalition.
“We have a majority, with over 230 co-sponsors, but we need a 2/3 vote to go under suspension,” she wrote.
“We are bringing together the tens of millions of supporters of our collective organizations to contact their members of Congress.”
Baskin is currently facing the fallout from an attack at his facility after one of his volunteers was bitten by a large cat on Thursday.
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