Chairman Hill, Vice-Chairman Thompson and distinguished committee members, My name is Julie Esswein Rodriguez, I am a graduate of The Ohio State University, a parent, wife, voter and a reptile owner. My father was a WWII veteran, My mother worked at Wright-Patterson AFB during WWII, my brother served in the Army during the Vietnam War and my husband served in the Marines for 12 years during the Desert Storm engagement. I am proud to have a family that was so willing to fight to preserve our rights in this great nation. Now, it is my turn to fight for my fellow citizen’s rights to own exotic animals.

The issue here is not about citizens being in danger because groups or individuals own exotic animals; the issue is who has more money to push their agenda through. You heard about Brent Kendra, the man who was mauled by a bear, this 24 year old man took a calculated risk playing with a 400lb. bear, no private citizens were harmed. You heard about Michael Peterman, a Dayton firefighter who died after being bitten by one of his venomous snakes, anti-venin could not be flown here from Miami in time to save him . Again, a personal, calculated risk, NO PRIVATE CITIZENS WERE HARMED. What Tim Harrison failed to mention in his testimony to authorities is that he knew his brother had the anti-venin in Kentucky, just 3 hours away; Mr. Peterman could have have been saved had Mr. Harrison spoken up, he chose not to and exploited the death to further his and HSUS's agenda. You heard about Teddy Dres, the man who was “reportedly” killed by a 13 foot Burmese Python, I am 5’ 3”, and have held Burmese pythons this size or larger, albeit heavy, NOT A KILLER! Mr. Dres died because his blood alcohol level was .206, he also had high levels of cocaine and barbiturates in his system. He did not expire until after he got to the hospital. I DO NOT remember ever hearing or reading about an exotic animal ever harming an innocent citizen in Ohio.

Testimony from non-Ohioans should be disregarded, Florida, New York, California or wherever have their own set of issues they have to deal with. Their complaints and issues do NOT exist in Ohio. Don’t let them persuade you that we have the same problems. Pythons cannot survive a winter in Ohio. Crocodilians cannot survive a winter in Ohio, they could never be a nuisance. When was the last time you saw a python or an alligator in the wild in Ohio? Why then are you banning them?

Before Terry Thompson’s murder, this issue was dead. Then Wayne Pacelle of HSUS has meetings with specific Ohio legislators and here we are. Are you aware of what HSUS really is? Less than one half of one percent of HSUS’s 9 figure annual receipts is spent to help animals. The IRS is investigating HSUS’s Lobbying practices which are PROHIBITED for an organization claiming to be a charitable organization or having a 501(c)(3) status. Wayne Pacelle brags on his blog that they are responsible for 1,000’s of laws being passed. How is this is done without lobbying?

The two most Senior Officers of the HSUS are the two most Senior Officers of the Humane Society Legislative Fund (HSLF), which is the self-described "Lobbying Arm" Subsidiary of the HSUS. The HSLF controls three Political Action Committees (PACs), which have contributed Millions of Dollars to Hundreds of Candidates seeking Elected Office to Congress. The HSLF has submitted in excess of 2,300 pages of lobbying related documents to the Federal Election Committee. However, neither the HSUS, nor the HSLF, nor their two most Senior Officers are currently registered as "Lobbying Organizations" or "Lobbyists" as is required by the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995. Do you want your name perminately associated with HSUS?

This, Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the tip of the iceberg of how corrupt HSUS is. The Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries is run by HSUS officials. Please check out these groups before giving them the time of day. Before John Kasick was sworn in as Governor, a reporter asked him about HSUS and the exotic animal ban and he replied, (I paraphrase) “I am NOT going to let anyone from out of state come in and push Ohioans around.” Really Governor? What are you doing now but playing footsie with these “wackadoodles”?

What is most disappointing is what I am observing with my state legislators, first the Senate hearing committee: Mr Balderson and most of the senators were absent during most of the opposing testimony. This made me feel like “why even bother”. I bet they WILL hear us when the voters say , “your OUT” come November.

The proponents for this bill could be counted on one hand and most were out of state entities. Tim Harrison is from Ohio but his documentary “Elephant in the Room” was funded by HSUS. The opposition on the other hand was abundant, widespread and had valid points. Yet here we are, one step closer to a law that is not necessary, not wanted and will take hundreds of thousands to enforce. Will HSUS pay for that added expense? Additionly, loss of tax revenue will be far grater than estimated; the average large cat eats 100lbs of meat a week, you do the math. Bottom line, humans, dogs, horses and deer are much more dangerous than exotics.

All of your Bio’s state that your job “is to serve as a direct link between those Ohioans he or she was elected to represent and state government.” Are you best serving your constituents by creating a law that will shut down businesses, decrease sales at others, cause people to be laid off and decrease tax revenue for the state of Ohio? For what reason? To protect Ohioans? Protect us from what, a threat that does not exist?

The House of Representatives are done hearing testimony. The Bill will be reviewed and the House will vote soon.

Today is a big day in Ohio, the House of Representatives met at 9 o'clock this morning. So here is the speech Terry put together for his testimony. Also check out the NPR link below that has a bit of discussion about the currently pending legislation.

In January of 2010, I met with Brian Reynolds, a Kasic staffer and I told him that if Kasich did not let former Governor Strickland's exotic animal ban expire or he instituted an exotic animal executive order of his own I would sue him. I informed Reynolds that such an order was an unconstitutional taking of Ohioans private property. Kasich came out and told the media that he would not institute or uphold such an order because it was an unconstitutional taking of Ohioans private property.

One week prior to the Terry Thompson incident I met with State Senator Frank LaRose in the Akron area and I secured a promise from him that there would not be any exotic animal legislation in the state of Ohio. LaRose told me that," I am going to call Cliff Hite and also have him put a hold on any new legislation coming through his committee. Clifford Hite chairs the Senate Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee, the committee that any such legislation would have to pass through.

The following Tuesday, Terry Thompson, an elderly man, in poor physical and mental health, while on his farm alone in Zanesville, Ohio was murdered and a few of his animals where set free. That Wednesday mourning I called Governor Kasich's office and I told his staff three things:

1) Terry Thompson was murdered.

2) Governor Kasich was responsible for Terry Thompson's murder.

Kasich was holding close door secret meetings with the fruit cakes to come up with a ban on exotic animals in the state of Ohio. The
"stakeholders group", comprised of HSUS, PETA and other fruits and
nuts where blocked. They couldn't get around the road blocks that I
had set up with the key committee chairs. Even Governor Kasich was
blocked. The secret stakeholder group chair, Scott Zody, interim
Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources told Polly
Britton who was representing the Ohio Association of Animal Owners
that, " getting exotic animal legislation through in the state of Ohio would be a piece of cake if I could get around the reptile
community(meaning he couldn't get around Terry Wilkins). Of course
Zody Would later work with Andrew Wyatt/USARK, Michael Canning/PIJAC
and John Mack of Reptiles by Mack who are pro regulation and would try and help the fruit cakes get around me.

I told Kasich's staff that, If Kasich had not been playing footsie
with the fruit cakes making them think that exotic animal legislation was teetering on the verge of passage in this state that they would
not have gone out and killed Terry Thompson to make it happen.

3) I told Kasich's staff that my next call was going to be to the FBI.

That afternoon, I called the Muskingum County Sheriff Department's
Detective Squad and I told them that they where looking at a murder.
The next day I called back to that same detective bureau and I told
them that, " you guys know how this works, the first one of you to
start talking is going to get the best plea bargain". I then posted on Captive Born Reptiles face book page that Terry Thompson was murdered.

Seven months later lets briefly review some of what we now know:

1) Sheriff Lutz did not take one crime scene photo.

2) The Wilds, a couple of thousand acres under fence loosely associated with the Columbus Zoo with hundreds of large animals called Sheriff Lutz and told him that we have tranquilizer, tranquilizer guns and trained staff and we can be there in twenty minutes. Maintain the perimeter(the place had a eight foot high perimeter fence that nothing got outside of) and we will take care of the animals. Lutz told the wilds staff," stay away from this place tonight because tonight this place is going to be a shooting gallery. You can come by tomorrow and see if anything is left alive". Lutz turned down the offers of numerous trained individuals. Possibly to distort the crime scene?

As a state administrator I carried the ground breaking check out to
the wilds. None of those animals had to be killed.

3) The Sheriff's Department had to take the front eight foot high
fence off of its hinges to gain access to the Thompson farm.

4) The gun that killed Terry Thompson belonged to one of Sheriff
Lutz's deputies and that deputy cannot explain how his gun ended up at the crime scene.

5) The gun was found fifteen feet from the body next to a set of blue bolt cutters.

6) Gun residue on right hand. Thompson was left handed.

7) Most of the animals where shot inside of their cages.

8) Terry Thompson was left alone for an hour and a half. A single person, in good physical condition could not have done the damage that was done in three hours and Thompson was not in good physical condition.

9) One of Thompson's neighbors has close ties to HSUS.

10) The autopsy was performed by a coroner from a neighboring county
who quits his job days after performing the autopsy.

11) The coroner states that Thompson's pants where, " unbuttoned unzipped, pulled down to his knees and his genitalia had been removed".

12) Sheriff deputies reports are all dated weeks after incident.

13) Thompson's body was covered in chicken blood and surrounded by
chicken parts.

14) Thompson's head animal caretaker, accompanied by deputies was the first to find the body and he says that there was no bucket, chicken blood or chicken parts on or around the body when he found it.

15) Kasich uses the Ohio Department of Agriculture to illegally detain and seize the Thompson animals inside of the house.

16) I call the Chief Legal Council of the Ohio Department of Agriculture and told him that I was coming over with a public records request for the medical records for the Thompson animals. I inform him that Ohioans especially Ohio farmers are going to riot when they find out that a state agricultural agency is being used illegally against Ohioans to deprive them of their private property. ODA's Legal Council told me that I could just e-mail my request. I told him," owe no, you know I do everything the old fashion way and I want hand written receipts, etc.". Several days later Kasich fires the Chief Legal Council of ODA. I guess he told Kasich something that he didn't want to hear.

17) Sheriff Lutz's final report states that he cannot prove that
Thompson's death was a suicide but since he doesn't have any suspects he is dropping the investigation.

18) Thompson's animals had just been fed and watered. If you have the keys to your cages why do you have to cut off your own locks and cut open your own cage fencing.

I could go on but you get the idea. The major question that I have now is what does Governor Kasich, State Senator Balderson, State
Representative Dave Hill and State Representative Brian Hall know and when did they know it and was the pay worth it. Remember guys, in the days ahead, don't stare, chose your friends wisely and don't be the last one out of the showers.

Terry Wilkins

Below is an email response from PIJAC about their thoughts on Ohio SB310, it is a bit disturbing to see what they have to say about SB310.