Politics & Government

Wyandotte State Rep. Wants Monkeys, Apes Banned as Pets

State Rep. Andrew Kandrevas, whose districted represented Wyandotte in 2012, introduced a sole piece of legislation in 2012.

State Rep. Andrew Kandrevas (D-Southgate), whose district included Wyandotte in 2012, introduced a sole piece of legislation throughout the year. It centered around the types of animals that can be kept as pets.

H.B. 5921, introduced on Sept. 19, would ban monkeys and apes as being kept as household pets. The legislation would prohibit the ownership, possession, breeding, sale, or importation of nonhuman primates as pets.

The bill gives an exemption for zoos, veterinarians or specified officials, and would allow people who currently have mokeys and apes to keep them.

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While Kandrevas only introduced one bill in 2012, his focus was spent on insurance matters, according to his legislative aide, Joseph Sullivan.

Not to mention, Sullivan said, Republicans control the state House.

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"It's hard to move legislation when you're in the minority party," Sullivan said.

In addition to introducing a piece of legislation, Kandrevas also held a perfect voting record in 2012, never missing a single vote that was before the state House of Representatives, according to MichiganVotes.org.

Here's his official biography, courtesy of his state website.

State Representative Andrew J. Kandrevas is serving his second term in the Michigan House of Representatives. He represents the 13th House District, which includes Southgate, Wyandotte, Riverview and Trenton.

Before coming to the House in 2009, Kandrevas served as council president for the city of Southgate in addition to running his own law office. He also served on Southgate’s Planning Commission prior to being elected to the City Council.

During his legal career, Kandrevas worked as a member of the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office; assistant city attorney and prosecutor for the city of Lincoln Park; and staff attorney to Detroit City Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel.

In 2006, Kandrevas opened his own law office in the same Southgate building where his father, 28th District Court Judge James Kandrevas, had practiced law throughout Kandrevas’ childhood.

Kandrevas is past-president of the Southgate Democratic Club and the Michigan Hellenic Bar Association and a member of the Southgate Kiwanis.

Kandrevas is a resident of Southgate, where he was raised and has lived much of his life. He graduated from Southgate Aquinas High School in 1993 and went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan in 1997. He earned a degree from Wayne State University Law School in 2001.

Editor's note: Due to redistricting, Wyandotte is now represented by Paul Clemente (D-Lincoln Park).


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