An animal activist from Montana faces charges for illegally lobbying Colorado’s Democrat lawmakers to pass a controversial wolf bill that would have negatively impacted livestock owners.
Luckily for ranchers, House Bill 1375 failed to get past the Agriculture Committee.
The ridiculously titled Wild Carnivores & Livestock Nonlethal Coexistence bill presumed that cows and their predators could live in harmony if ranchers would just gave peace a chance.
Stephen Capra of Bold Visions Conservation was reported to the state election office for lobbying without registering as a lobbyist on behalf of a paid organization — his own— and proceedings have begun against him, reports Colorado Politics.
Capra has a long history of environmental activism with several national organizations on his resume, so it’s not like this New Yorker is just a volunteer who stumbled onto the cause and didn’t realize he was acting a lobbyist.
From the article:
The Elections Division of the Secretary of State launched the proceedings against Capra, who insisted his actions were innocent and that his whole purpose was to get a reasonable bill passed that, he said, would give ranchers the tools to protect their cattle.
His actions also constitute as lobbying, but the activist was already rolling in the innocent act so he proceeded straight into victimhood.
“It’s all politics, the ranchers coming after me,” Capra told Colorado Politics. “It’s a great example of doing something good and it can blow up in your face.”
No, his actions are a great example of illegal lobbying, and getting busted for it. The state election office also says he admits to lobbying on this issue in Colorado.
Here’s a video in which he brags about lobbying the Colorado lawmakers:
“It’s always fun to lobby!” Capra says.
Sounding bitter about the failure of his efforts, Capra told Colorado Polities how he met with House Speaker Julie McCluskie, whom he claims refused to be photographed with him, and called him a “wolf lover.”
Capra also lobbied Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Karen McCormick as well as panel members Brianna Titone, Mandy Lindsay, Julia Marvin and Elizabeth Velasco.
All Democrats.
The bill failed on a 4-9 vote, with the chairwoman and Titone opposing the measure.
It’s up to the Secretary of State’s office to enforce this violation, so stay tuned!