Senator Terrance Murphy (R-NY) has taken action and made progress to past legislation working Pace University Students since taking office.

Pace welcomed Murphy with open arms ever since the Elephant Protection Act was brought to his attention.

“I came down to introduce myself because now I represent this part of the district, which is what Pace University sits in, I wanted to make the connection here and it has been nothing but open arms,” Murphy said. “We want to be able to work with Professor John Cronin and Michelle Land on things from working on the Hudson River which is important to us.”

The Senator has been working with Cronin and Land on the Coast Guard wanting ten new anchorage sites from Yonkers to Kingston.

“We have been adamantly opposed to the whole thing because of the lack of information, lack of transparency to letting us know what type of security is going to be going on in the environmental and the economic development,” Murphy said.

Professor Cronin and Land have also been working with Murphy on a bill that is well known to the Pace Community called the Elephant Protection Act.

Students petitioned for the bill to be brought up to Senator Murphy. Pace students received up to one thousand names on the petition and presented it to Murphy’s office for the bill to be passed.

“The bill has to pass the senate, the assembly, and then the governor signs it. The bill has passed the senate sixty-two to 0 last year.” The Senator said. “ We are hoping Assemblywoman Amy Paulin can get it passed this year and we can get it passed again in my house, then the governor signs it and have the official bill signed at Pace University.”

The environment has been an important topic for Pace students over the years, it has been a collaborative effort for these Pace students to work together to get this bill passed because it is the right thing for the animals.

“We need to remember these animals don’t have a voice we need to be there voice and knowing what these elephants go through it is inhumane and cruelty that is displayed to these animals. Murphy said. “From what you see in the circuses to what is actually going on it is a night and day difference.”

Elephants being saved from captivity have been the topic of concern but the circuses behind closed doors is an issue.

“Circuses have been completely inhumane, we have the Bronx zoo to see elephants and that is all we really need,” Murphy said.