After all, they’re called Domestic Ferrets!
California accepted Petition 2025-003 for further consideration, yet more than a year later it remains unresolved. In its demurrer, the State advances several legal arguments that appear difficult to reconcile. This article examines those arguments and asks a much larger question: Can a California agency accept a citizen petition, refer it internally, and never issue a final decision?
What happens if a California state agency accepts a citizen petition but never approves or denies it? This article explores the legal question at the heart of a pending lawsuit: whether agencies can indefinitely delay action while avoiding judicial review—and why the answer could affect every Californian, not just one regulatory dispute.
We thought we had won. In June 2025, the California Fish and Game Commission unanimously accepted Petition 2025-003 for further consideration. More than a year later, there is still no decision, no explanation, and no end in sight. What looked like progress may have become the ultimate bureaucratic Catch-22.
The California Fish and Game Commission’s own website promises that “any interested person may petition a State agency to change regulation.” Yet when we exercised that right through the ferret petition, the Commission ignored its own rules — refusing to docket, process, or respond. Our latest Public Records Act requests reveal withheld emails, hidden litigation holds, and a pattern of secrecy that contradicts the transparency the Commission advertises. This isn’t just about ferrets; it’s about accountability. When agencies hide behind privilege instead of following the law, public trust erodes — and that’s exactly why we keep fighting for sunlight.
No Deadline Doesn’t Mean No Action A closer look at the State’s response to Petition 2025-003—and the question it leaves unanswered. When we filed our