RPOA - Texas HB 1451 Rep. Thompson's Anti-Breeder Bill Filed Today!

[jls41]

February 17, 2011

Texas HB 1451 Rep. Thompson's Anti-Breeder Bill Filed Today!
Rep. Senfronia Thompson has filed HB 1451, the long awaited anti-breeder
bill and has a Press Conference scheduled at 2:30 PM today.
To view the press conference go to http://www.house.state.tx.us/video-audio/
at 2:30.

RPOA has just received a copy of the bill and will publish an analysis
later.

[catchrcall]

I just got done looking it over, and it's pretty crazy with all the record keeping and stuff.  It gives inspectors and animal control way to much freedom as far as I'm concerned.

a couple things i noticed:

it says that the breed or or a representative MAY be present during the inspection.  In these bills, there is a big difference between MAY and SHALL.  By saying MAY, they mean that it is ok if the breeder is there during the inspection, but it is not required.  Meaning that the inspector, which can be a state agency, animal control, or a THIRD PARTY (read, any wacko that goes through their inspector training) can inspect the property without anybody being there.  It also says that an inspector may not enter a private residence of a breeder except as neccessary to gain access to animals, records, documents, or other property relevant to the inspection.  So they can go inside your house without you there if they hear a dog bark inside.  

Criminal background checks for breeders, and even for employees of the kennel

[catchrcall]

And this

(c)AAThe commission by rule may modify existing standards and
establish additional standards or requirements as necessary to
protect or improve the health and well-being of animals or to
protect the health and safety of the public.

Meaning they don't have to vote on it any more, they can pretty much do what they want.

apparently they are not concerned with the Constitution, as this bill allows someone searching my property without my presence, my consent or them having a warrant.  Just because they call it an inspection doesn't make it any different.  it's still a government agency intruding onto your property.

[uglydog]

Not Good

[Cull Buck]

You can send this email to him if you'd like.....

Representative McClendon,

It was with alarm that I read HB 998, which you introduced presumably as a jest or while under the influence. Your poorly constructed, ridiculously illogical bill would place a monetary burden on the tens of thousands of Texas hunters who run retrievers, pointing dogs, flushing dogs, packs of hounds and other sporting dogs, forcing them to choose between carrying an insane level of insurance coverage or altering their intact male dogs. Your bill is a severe impediment to those responsible owners of sporting dogs who wish to breed their animals and a threat to rare breeds like the flatcoat retriever and Irish water spaniel. The conditions of the bill would make it impossible for sporting dog owners to train, hunt and compete with their dogs without the ridiculous legal necessity of insuring harmless dogs against a danger they very clearly do not represent. Your contempt for hunters is clear from the September 1st implementation date of bill, opening day of dove season, when sportsmen all across the state turn out with their working dogs.

As a Democrat, I understand that your natural inclination is toward punitive government intervention in every aspect of a citizen’s life, but I urge you to pull this bill immediately. It has no chance of passage in a state which values freedom and serves no purpose whatsoever other than to obviate your foolishness. Your immediate resignation would also be a delight, as you obviously cannot be trusted to legislate in a responsible, rational manner.