Detroit Lions fans pack into Ford Field on Jan 21, 2024, for the Lions’ second home playoff game, in which they took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Detroit Lions fans pack into Ford Field on Jan 21, 2024, for the Lions’ second home playoff game, in which they took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta and his wife, Callie LaPorta, sent a letter earlier this month to state legislators in support of “Queenie’s Law,” a bill that seeks to ban all experimentation on dogs in Michigan public institutions.
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The bill was introduced in the state Senate by Sen. Paul Wojno (D-Warren) and in the House by Rep. Joe Aragona (R-Clinton Twp.) in March. The legislation sits in committee in both chambers, though in late October it moved out of the House Committee on Regulatory Reform to the House Committee on Rules.
“Dogs used in labs are no different than our incredible rescue pup Bonnie,” the letter from the LaPortas states, quoted in a press release circulated by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
The group added that the couple is thankful that science is moving away from dog experimentation.
The letter urged House Speaker Matt Hall and Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks to prioritize and advance the legislation, which is named after a dog that died after being used in experiments at Wayne State University.
“Michigan’s dogs are lucky to have Sam and Callie on their side,” said Ryan Merkley, director of research advocacy for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, which worked with the LaPortas on the letter. “Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to foot the bill for painful, dead-end dog experiments.”
Other celebrities have also expressed support for the legislation, including actors Lily Tomlin and Ernie Hudson, who appeared in a TV ad in support of the bill.
The Michigan Advance, a hard-hitting, nonprofit news site, covers politics and policy across the state of Michigan through in-depth stories, blog posts, and social media updates, as well as top-notch progressive commentary. The Advance is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.
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