S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster testified Wednesday in favor of a bill increasing the penalties for those convicted of promoting cockfighting.
McMaster told a Senate subcommittee that cockfighting is "harmful to the social fabric of society as well as to the animals themselves." The bill was sponsored by former House Speaker David Wilkins of Greenville. It was approved by the House of Representatives last year.
The legislation also would give law enforcement officers forfeiture authority for property used for the purposes or in connection with animal fighting. The subcommittee took no action on the bill Wednesday. Members expect to take more testimony at a future meeting before voting on the bill.
