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LESNIAK STATEMENT ON ENACTMENT OF IVORY BAN

Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, D-Union, the prime sponsor of legislation to allow casinos to operate Internet wagering sites, testifies before the Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee on his bill.

Senator Raymond J. Lesniak, D-Union, issued the following statement on Tuesday in response to the governor’s enactment of legislation, S-2012, that will ban the purchase and sale of illicit ivory in New Jersey:

“The governor made the right decision. The black market sales of elephant ivory and rhinoceros horns is thriving, fueled by the slaughter of an estimated 35,000 elephants a year and supported by the sale and purchase of ivory and rhinoceros horn products.

“It’s the black market that is fueling the ivory trade and it threatens the destruction of wild animals throughout the world, including elephants, rhinos, whales, hippos and walruses. These animals are brutally slaughtered by profiteers.

“This law will have New Jersey lead the way by cracking down on the illicit market of these products, reducing the demand and the profits from the sales of these products. This is an ecological issue with a moral and ethical dimension.”