Yates, Webster Announce Pit Bull Legislation State Reps. Tyrone K. Yates (D-Cincinnati) and Shawn Webster (R-Hamilton) Monday announced a joint effort to craft a comprehensive approach to Ohio’s pit bull issue. “I introduced legislation to ban pit bulls as a springboard for discussion on a vital public safety issue for Ohio,” Yates said. “Pit bulls raised in urban neighborhoods to be aggressive pose a threat to our children and our communities, and I am serious about stopping this dangerous practice.” Webster, a practicing veterinarian, agreed to work with Yates after the introduction of Yates’ HB568. Both representatives have a history of addressing vicious animal issues. Yates first engaged the pit bull issue as chair of the Cincinnati City Council Law and Public Safety Committee in the mid 1990’s. Webster is sponsor of HB366, which removes pit bulls from the definition of “vicious dogs.” “I appreciate Rep. Yates’ willingness to work on compromise language together,” Webster said. “Many pit bulls are good family pets owned by responsible people. Local communities should be able to decide what is best for their residents, and I believe there should be exceptions made for responsibly-owned, good-citizen pit bulls.” Hundreds of people have called or emailed both representatives about their respective legislation. Several cities – including Cincinnati, Toledo and Lakewood – have responded to a series of pit bull attacks by considering restrictions or outright bans on the breed. “My goal has never been to seize family pets,” Yates said. “We want to address this danger to our urban areas while respecting the rights of responsible dog owners. I’m glad constituents have contacted me about their concerns as we engage in this important dialogue, which will hopefully lead to comprehensive legislation protecting gentle family pets while putting a stop to the violent training of pit bulls.” Story originally published in The Hannah Report on June 2, 2008. Copyright 2008 Hannah News Service, Inc. im totally with him on that last part... but how they go about it is important.