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| near San Jose, CA |
Once again leading the nation, California has banned fur products. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill this weekend. The ban goes into effect in 2023. Of course animal rights activists hailed the new law. He also signed a bill that bans most animals from performing in circuses, following New Jersey and Hawaii that have similar laws. The ban is not absolute. It exempts fur worn for religious or tribal purposes, used fur products, and does not apply to deer, goat, sheep or cattle hides, or stuffed animals (trophies). The law provides for fines for each fur product sold up to $1000 for repeated violations. Opposed by the fur industry, it claimed the law was an "attack on choice" and the product of a "radical vegan agenda" using a fur ban as the first step. Fashion designers, Versace, Gucci, and Armani have already announced they are done with real fur. Sliding further down the slippery slope of veganism, Gov. Newsom also signed a law that prohibits the trapping or killing of bobcats (
Lynx rufus), adding them to the list of protected species in the state.