Last September, Sacramento State found itself in the midst of a self-inflicted publicity nightmare when plans to acquire a lavish display of exotic animals fell apart in embarrassing fashion. The center of the issue was that Sac State had given a local, wealthy couple permission to hunt animals that were not contained on a standard Tanzanian hunting license. The scandal loomed larger when it was later discovered that five of the 84 animals requested by Sac State were on the World Conservation Union’s “red list.”

On Feb. 22, Assembly Bill 2602 was proposed in a stunning example of reactionary politics. Assemblyman Cameron Smyth created a bill that would “prohibit a public institution of higher education from funding, facilitating, or otherwise providing direct support for the lethal taking of any vertebrate animal by means of hunting or trapping.”

Is that the lesson and/or legislation we are all going to take out of this fiasco?

Yes, the situation was embarrassing and it diminished the image of this campus, but that is as far as it needs to go. President Alexander Gonzalez and his cronies acted rashly in the interest of obtaining a valuable and unique collection – they paid the price by way of public humiliation. No one thought to do a Google search on the 84 requested animals and our university president basically admitted that he did not read what he was signing.

The issue worked itself out. Tempers cooled off and the graffiti that requested Gonzalez’s resignation on the side of Mendocino Hall was removed. Actually, one of those things didn’t happen.

The bill may not be written solely because of Sac State’s blunder, but one must question the timing. It has been a handful of months, but the bitter taste lingers for animal rights activists. The idea that vertebrates are singled out is a bit of a gray area for the bill. Could colleges and universities in California sponsor, facilitate or provide direct support for giant squid hunts or trappings of exotic insects?

The bill does not create any subcommittees and it would not cost the taxpayers one cent. However, it is unnecessary government regulation. The state massively cut the CSU’s budget. Legislators should stay out of our business, unless they are finding ways to reinvest in our system. However, if this bill becomes law no one can ever again say that Sac State doesn’t make a difference.

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