Posted on 12/08/2008
In January 2009, the NY State Assembly re-convenes to discuss the legalization of Mixed Martial Arts events.
In a nutshell, the last bill that was introduced to the NYS Assembly was defeated in Committee back in June 2008. The committee responsible for reviewing and approving the bill before the general assembly votes on the bill is the Committee on Tourism, Recreation & Sports Development. The uncle fucking idiot on the committee that shot down the bill is Assemblyman Bob Reilly. Here we have attached a list of all the people on this committee with their contact info. They all need to be contacted (please be polite and civil) by as many people as possible in support of MMA. The reason that the bill was shot down was because MMA is deemed to be too savage, barbaric and unsafe. It was even compared to dog and cock fighting. Anyway, the message that needs to be sent to these politicians is that MMA is not barbaric, that it is indeed a legitimate combat sport, and that lifting the ban on MMA will not only benefit NY on a large financial scale, but it will also help local martial arts businesses flourish. Also, people contacting these politicians should give testimonies as to how MMA has had a positive impact on their lives. The bottom line is to educate these politicians on MMA and show them that MMA practitioners and enthusiasts are also educated and not just a bunch of bloodthirsty mongrels. Dana White and the lobbyists that he hired will take care of making known what kind of an impact it will have on the financial end.
The person that needs to get the most attention is Bob Reilly because he was the vocal opponent of MMA that got the bill shot down. Likewise, all the committee members should also get e-mails with arguments as to why the bill legalizing MMA should be approved. It could be the same e-mail for everyone. Your local assemblyman should also get an e-mail because once the bill passes in committee, it goes to the general assembly for vote and that is where your local assemblyman comes into play. Here is the link where you could find out who your local assemblyman is:
http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/mem/
There must also be a simultaneous bill passed in the NYS Senate, so your local State Senator must also receive an e-mail. Here is the link to find your local state senator:
http://www.senate.state.ny.us/sdlookup.nsf/Public_search?OpenForm
Finally, after both the State Assembly and the State Senate pass the bill, the governor must sign the bill to become law. So, an e-mail to him wouldn't hurt:
http://161.11.121.121/govemail