Politics

Sacramento, Calif. -- Little headway has been made over the past weeks to ease deficit concerns in California, and a 10 percent veterinary service tax remains an option for legislators to close a multi-billion budget gap.

Veterinary leaders discuss the long- and short-term implications of this year's election on practice, academia and the economy.

Boston - Veterinarians' opinions in Massachusetts are mixed on the subject of dog racing, but voters have spoken and two Greyhound racetracks will shut down by 2010.

National Report - Veterinarians are protesting a state proposal to tax veterinary services in California. Hundreds of letters were sent to the California Veterinary Medical Association. Currently, only three other states tax veterinary services - Hawaii, New Mexico and South Dakota, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.

National Report - AVMA pledges to help affected food-animal producers by providing information on alternative production systems.

Having newly elected U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader in Congress means veterinarians have a representative in government who understands issues specific to the veterinary community, officials say.

Harrisburg, Pa. - A newly formed nine-member Canine Health Board has just 45 days to establish guidelines.

Harrisburg, Pa. -- The new nine-member Canine Health Board -- made up of veterinarians from the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association and the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical School, as well as Republican and Democratic legislative leaders -- has met for the second time in less than a month to work on guidelines for the recently passed Pennsylvania dog law.

California is looking for ways to make ends meet, including a proposed new veterinary service tax.

Offers are pouring in to help the Obamas decide what breed to select as First Dog.

Veterinarian Kurt Schrader won his race for U.S. Representative from Oregon's 5th Congressional District Nov. 4.

Veterinarian and Oregon Sen. Kurt Schrader (D-Canby) vies for a U.S. House of Representatives seat.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) urges candidate leadership on several issues.

Washington -- The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Congressional Science Fellows have accepted positions on Capitol Hill, serving in capacities that coincide with their interests and enabling them to provide expertise to Congress, all while serving the veterinary profession.

Washington -- The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is accepting applications for its Congressional Science Fellows.

This interactive graphic details a presidential election survey of veterinarians.

Veterinarians cast votes on Election 2008's biggest issues.

The economy tops the issues influencing how veterinarians will vote this year, according to 66 percent of vets polled in an exclusive DVM Newsmagazine survey.

Neither candidate has said much animals on the campaigns trail, but DVMs are watching the race closely.

OREGON CITY, ORE. - If elected, veterinarian, farmer and small-business owner Kurt Schrader would be uniquely positioned to facilitate legislation key to the veterinary profession, such as increasing the number of veterinarians in rural practice and putting more funding into research.

Not having a First Pet lined up may not hurt Obama's campaign, but getting one could help.

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO - He may not have the name recognition of John McCain or Barack Obama, or even Ron Paul for that matter, but he has a belief that America can do better.

A debate has ensued over California's Prop 2, which would drastically alter animal agriculture.

New Orleans - The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) presented U.S. Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) with the first AVMA Advocacy Award at its annual conference.

Veterinarian Gary D. Harmon, 68, of Augusta, Kan., was defeated in his bid for 77th District state representative Aug. 5 by incumbent David Crum, R-Augusta.

A watered-down version of a bill that originally would have required that almost every cat and dog older than 4 months be spayed or neutered was voted down in the California Senate by a 27-5 vote.

Raleigh, N.C. -- North Carolina has a new veterinary medical board member.

Sacramento, Calif. - Municipalities won't be able to ban state-sanctioned medical practices if a proposed bill passes in California.

Impotent might be the best word to describe a law that would have required almost every cat and dog older than 4 months to be spayed or neutered before the measure was dramatically altered on the California Senate floor.

Washington - The $288 billion Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 passed both the House and the Senate, even surviving a Presidential veto.