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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 3 december 2020

U.S. tightens definition of service animals allowed on planes

By DAVID KOENIG AP the dog’s health, behavior
Airlines Writer and training. Airlines can
The government has decid- require people with a ser-
ed that when it comes to vice dog to turn in paper-
air travel, only dogs can be work up to 48 hours before
service animals, and com- a flight, but they can’t bar
panions used for emotional those travelers from check-
support don’t count. ing in online like other pas-
The Transportation Depart- sengers.
ment issued a final rule Airlines can require that ser-
Wednesday that aims to vice dogs to be leashed at
settle years of tension be- all times, and they can bar
tween airlines and passen- dogs that show aggressive
gers who bring their pets behavior. There have been
on board for free by saying incidents of emotional-sup-
they need them for emo- port animals biting passen-
tional support. gers.
For years, the department The Transportation Depart-
required airlines to allow ment stood by an earlier
animals with passengers decision to prohibit airlines
who had a doctor’s note from banning entire dog
saying they needed the breeds. That is a setback
animal for emotional sup- In this April 1, 2017, file photo, a service dog named Orlando rests on the foot of its trainer, John for Delta Air Lines, which
port. Reddan, while sitting inside a United Airlines plane at Newark Liberty International Airport during banned “pit bull type
Airlines believed passen- a training exercise in Newark, N.J. dogs” in 2018, a move that
gers abused the rule to Associated Press was criticized by disability
bring a menagerie of ani- advocates.
mals on board including service animals.” It also cit- support animals to check service animal is a dog Delta, however, is giving
cats, turtles, pigs and in one ed the increasing frequen- them into the cargo hold trained to help a person no indication of backing
case, a peacock. cy of people “fraudulently — and pay a pet fee — or with a physical or psychiat- down. In a statement, a
The agency said Wednes- representing their pets as leave them at home. The ric disability. Advocates for Delta spokeswoman said
day that it was rewriting the service animals,” and a rise agency estimated airlines veterans and others had the airline is reviewing the
rules partly because pas- in misbehavior by emotion- will gain up to $59.6 million pushed for inclusion of psy- new rule but, “At this time,
sengers carrying unusual al-support animals. a year in pet fees. chiatric service dogs. there are no changes to
animals on board “eroded The new rule will force pas- Under the final rule, which Airlines will be able to re- Delta’s current service and
the public trust in legitimate sengers with emotional- takes effect in 30 days, a quire owners to vouch for support animal policies.”q

Wisconsin governor calls Trump lawsuit an ‘assault’

any ballots in the state’s cept original jurisdiction mation on the envelope
other 70 counties, the ma- of the case, saying it must the ballots were placed in.
jority of which Trump won. start in lower courts. None of the ballots Trump
Trump’s legal challenges “President Trump’s (lawsuit) challenged during the re-
in other states to overturn seeks nothing less than to count were discounted by
election results have failed. overturn the will of nearly elections officials in Dane
In Wisconsin, Trump wants 3.3 million Wisconsin voters,” and Milwaukee counties.
to skip lower courts, say- Evers’ attorneys said. “It is a Evers argues in his filings
ing in his lawsuit that there shocking and outrageous that there is no legal ba-
isn’t time to go through assault on our democracy. sis for the ballots not to be
the normal process due to ... He is simply trying to seize counted.
the looming Dec. 14 date Wisconsin’s electoral votes, For example, Evers notes
when electors will gather to even though he lost the that the Wisconsin Elec-
cast the state’s 10 Electoral statewide election.” tions Commission agreed
In this Nov. 20, 2020, file photo, election workers, right, verify College votes. Trump’s lawsuit repeats more than four years ago
ballots as recount observers, left, watch during a Milwaukee The state Supreme Court many claims he made to allow election clerks to
hand recount of presidential votes at the Wisconsin Center in could deny Trump’s re- during a recount of votes fill in missing information
Milwaukee. quest to hear the case, in Milwaukee and Dane on envelopes containing
Associated Press forcing it to lower courts, counties. He seeks to dis- absentee ballots. And the
By SCOTT BAUER preme Court. The filings, which would likely kill it. Or qualify 170,140 absentee commission at least since
Associated Press made late Tuesday, come it could accept the case ballots that were cast ear- 2011 said that the enve-
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — as the state’s highest court and issue a decision later. It ly, in-person, saying there lope doubles as a written
President Donald Trump’s is weighing Trump’s request could also just render a de- wasn’t a proper written re- request, something Trump is

attempt to overturn Wis- to disqualify more than cision based on the written quest made for the ballots; contesting. Evers’ attorneys
consin’s election results by 221,000 ballots in Milwau- arguments, although that 28,395 absentee ballots say Trump’s arguments re-
tossing ballots only from the kee and Dane counties. would be unusual. cast by those who claimed lated to the accepting of
state’s two most heavily Democrat Joe Biden de- Attorneys for Evers, as well “indefinitely confined” sta- ballots in Madison’s parks
Democratic counties is an feated Trump by a 2-to-1 as lawyers from the state tus; 17,271 absentee ballots and challenges to those
“assault on democracy,” margin in those counties Department of Justice collected by poll workers at who identified as “indefi-
attorneys for Democratic on his way to a 20,682-vote representing the Wiscon- Madison parks; and 5,517 nitely confined” should
Gov. Tony Evers said in fil- win statewide. sin Elections Commission, absentee ballots where have been raised before
ings with the Wisconsin Su- Trump is not challenging urged the court not to ac- clerks filled in missing infor- the election.q