Baierschmidt said he and others will need to focus on educating some legislators who are "nervous" that an animal cruelty bill will somehow negatively impact corporate farming or animal husbandry. "This bill has nothing to do with that," he said.

Last August lawmakers held a special session during which they discussed Henry's Law, but they could not agree on when animal torture rises to a felony. They promised a compromise on the issue in the 2008 session.

Sen. Allen Christensen, R-North Ogden, also sponsored a bill last session that would have made animal torture a felony, but only on the second offense. Davis' bill sought a felony charge on the first offense.

More recently the Humane Society of the United States threw national support behind efforts in Utah by sponsoring information meetings in St. George, Ogden and Salt Lake City for residents wondering how they might be able to influence change in the state's animal cruelty laws.

---

E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com