Vermont Looks to Do What Hawaii Won’t — Ban Ivory
Legislation died again this year in the Hawaii Senate but Vermont is moving forward.
Vermont is getting closer to banning ivory, something Hawaii failed to do again this year.
New Jersey banned ivory last year, the first state to do so, and New York passed a law limiting sales. Several other states are looking at the issue.
The latest concern in Vermont is an effort to exempt old pianos and antiques, the Associated Press reported Thursday. Apparently the debate there ranged from the slaughter and near extinction of African elephants to terrorism.
A 2008 study found Hawaii to be one of the top markets for elephant ivory in the U.S.
The Hawaii Legislature has considered banning ivory for years but has yet to pass a bill. Legislation cleared the House this session but died in the Senate.
An elephant at the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand, 2009.
Christian Haugen/Flickr
