Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 12, two controversial bills in the Texas House of Representatives, HB 3180 and HB 2732, will be considered by the House Local and Consent Calendars Committee. This committee schedules bills for a floor vote by the full House of Representatives when there is no opposition anticipated; however, if five or more Representatives object to the bills’ presence on the Local and Consent Calendars, it will be transferred to the regular Calendars Committee which will later schedule floor debate on these controversial bills. The American Kennel Club and its Texas Federation, the Responsible Pet Owners Alliance, urge sufficient opposition to these bills that they be transferred to the regular calendars committee. It is imperative that all concerned Texans contact their elected Representative and encourage them to object to HB 3180 and HB 2732 being on the Local and Consent Calendars Committee.
Texas House Bill 3180 features ownership limits, breeder licensing, facility inspection, and consumer protection provisions. HB 3180 does not provide any viable solutions to any animal issues incumbent to Texas. Instead, HB 3180 is simply part of a radical national legislative agenda aimed at limiting the freedoms and liberties of Americans by attempting to restrict the number of animals a person can own regardless of whether proper care is provided. (Click here to see AKC’s March 30 Alert on HB 3180.)
Texas House Bill 2732 vaguely provides that, in certain unincorporated areas of counties, the barking or of another noise made by a dog outdoors on premises in a neighborhood will be considered a public nuisance if a reasonable person would find the noise objectionable. Both the county qualification and the factors that may be considered in determining whether a noise is objectionable are ambiguous and must be opposed as currently written.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
All concerned Texans should contact their elected Representative and encourage them to object to HB 3810 and HB 2732 being on the Local and Consent Calendars Committee. Ask them to put the bills on the regular calendar to ensure that floor debate will occur. (To find your Representative, go to http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/ and enter your information.)
Concerned Texans should also contact all members of the House Local and Consent Calendars Committee, and ask that HB 3180 and HB 2732 be transferred to the Calendars Committee, as both bills are controversial and feature major opposition, and therefore should require full floor debate.
Members of the House Local and Consent Calendar Committee:
Chairman: Rep. Senfronia Thompson
Phone: (512) 463-0720
Fax: (512) 463-6306
E-mail: senfronia.thompson@house.state.tx.us
Vice-Chair: Rep Byron Cook
Phone: (512) 463-0730
Fax: (512) 463-2506
Email: byron.cook@house.state.tx.us
Rep. Rafael Anchia
Phone: (512) 463-0746
Fax: (512) 473-0738
E-mail: rafael.anchia@house.state.tx.us
Rep Dwayne Bohac
Phone: (512) 463-0727
Fax: (512) 463-0681
Email: dwayne.bohac@house.state.tx.us
Rep. Valinda Bolton
Phone: (512) 463-0652
Fax: (512) 463-0565
E-mail: valinda.bolton@house.state.tx.us
Rep Roland Gutierrez
Phone: (512) 463-0452
Fax: (512) 463-1447
Email: roland.gutierrez@house.state.tx.us
Rep. Jodie Laubenberg
Ph: (512) 463-0186
Fax: (512) 463-5896
E-mail: jodie.laubenberg@house.state.tx.us
Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer
Phone: (512) 463-0616
Fax: (512) 463-4873
E-mail: trey.martinez.fischer@house.state.tx.us
Rep. Tommy Merritt
Phone: (512) 463-0750
Fax: (512) 463-9085
E-mail: tommy.merritt@house.state.tx.us
Rep. Geanie Morrison
Phone: (512) 463-0456
Fax: (512) 476-3933
E-mail: geanie.morrison@house.state.tx.us
Rep. Rob Orr
Phone: (512) 463-0538
Fax: (512) 463-0897
E-mail: rob.orr@house.state.tx.us
Committee Clerk: Milda Mora
Phone: (512) 463-0800.
For more information, contact AKC’s Government Relations Department at (919) 816-3720, or e-mail doglaw@akc.org; or contact RPOA Texas Outreach at www.rpoatexasoutreach.org.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 12, two controversial bills in the Texas House of Representatives, HB 3180…