SACRAMENTO — The Animal Welfare Institute has hired a prominent public relations team to help push legislation to ban orca shows at SeaWorld in San Diego.
Adam Keigwin, a former chief of staff to Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, has been tapped by the Animal Welfare Institute, the sponsors of the controversial measure.
Keigwin is a senior vice president of Mercury, which has on its payroll former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, and Becky Warren and Adam Mendelsohn, one-time communications specialists for former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, among others, according to its website.
In an interesting twist, Mercury’s client list includes the firm of Carter, Wetch and Associates. SeaWorld’s lead lobbyist has retained Scott Wetch, a prominent pro-labor voice, to help fight the ban as a subcontractor.
Mercury’s partners have worked with Wetch’s associates on unrelated legislation.
Mercury’s client list includes Sempra Energy, the National Basketball Association, and the California Medical Association, among others.
Wetch’s labor ties may be valuable as Democratic lawmakers seem more likely to support the measure than Republicans.
Assembly Bill 2140 carried by Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, is among the most-watched measures in the Capitol.
It would prohibit using orcas in performances, ban captive breeding and forbid the import and export of the killer whales. The park would still be allowed to put whales on exhibit in settings similar to aquariums.
The measure was introduced in response to the documentary “Blackfish,” which explores the 2010 death of Dawn Brancheau, a trainer at the Orlando, Fla. park, who was pulled into the pool by the orca Tilikum and drowned.
Earlier, SeaWorld hired Pete Montgomery of Montgomery Consulting, who was at one time director of government affairs for BP North America and had served as chief of staff for former Sen. Bruce McPherson, R-Santa Cruz.
No hearing date has been set yet.
Ann Novek( Luure)--With the Sky as the Ceiling and the Heart Outdoors 