—ACTION
NEEDED NOW!!!
Because of procedural
maneuvering in the
Texas Legislature,
harsh breeder regulatory
legislation is now very
close to becoming law in
the Lone Star State .
It is vital that all
concerned responsible
dog breeders and
owners in
Texas take
immediate action in
opposition to this
bill.
On
Wednesday, May 6,
Senator Tommy Williams
of
The Woodlands had
House Bill 2310
considered, which
originally concerned the
powers and duties of the
Texas Department of
Licensing and Regulation.
HB 2310 already passed
the
House of Representatives,
and was being considered
by the full Senate.
Then, while the bill was
being considered,
Senator John Whitmire
of Houston, the chief
sponsor of Senate Bill
1910, which seeks to
impose harsh regulations
and limits on
responsible dog breeders
but had until now
received little
attention from the Texas
Senate, moved to amend
CSHB 2310, adding the
same harsh breeder
regulatory language to
this bill. The amendment
was accepted. In short
order, the Senate’s
rules were suspended,
allowing the full Senate
to put the newly-amended
HB 2310 up for a final
vote.
The Senate voted
unanimously in favor of
HB 2310. (Click
here for the
Texas Senate Journal’s
entry detailing the
actions taken on HB
2310.)
These procedural moves
effectively prevented
concerned Texans from
exercising their right
to speak out about this
legislation. Now, the
bill will be sent back
to the
Texas House of
Representatives
for final approval, also
known as concurrence.
AT THIS
CRITICAL JUNCTURE, IT IS
VITAL THAT ALL
RESPONSIBLE DOG BREEDERS
AND OWNERS IN
TEXAS FLOOD THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WITH LETTERS, CALLS, AND
E-MAILS OF OPPOSITION.
URGE THE MEMBERS OF THE
HOUSE TO NOT CONCUR WITH
THE SENATE’S AMENDMENTS
TO HB 2310.
ADDITIONALLY, ALL
CONCERNED TEXANS SHOULD
CONTACT GOVERNOR PERRY
AND EXPRESS THEIR
RESPECTFUL YET STRONG
OPPOSITION TO HB 2310
AND THE PROCEDURAL
MANEUVERING THAT DENIED
TEXANS THEIR RIGHT TO BE
HEARD.
If
enacted, the amended HB
2310 will negatively
affect many
responsible breeders in
Texas. The AKC
opposes these changes
including the following
provisions:
·
Defining “commercial
breeder” as a person who
possesses 11 or more
adult intact
female animals
and is engaged in the
business of breeding
animals for direct or
indirect sale or for
exchange in return for
consideration.
·
Requiring licensure of
anyone considered a
commercial breeder.
·
Limiting commercial
breeders from possessing
more than 50 adult
intact female animals in
a facility at any time.
WHAT YOU CAN
DO:
It
is imperative that all
concerned Texans
immediately contact
their member of the
House of
Representatives. Urge
them to not concur with
the Senate’s amendments
to HB 2310. To find
your Representative, go
to
http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/
and enter your
information.
Contact
Governor Rick Perry
in opposition to this
bill now.
Respectfully yet
strongly let him know
that you oppose HB 2310,
and insist that he veto
this bill.
Office of
the Governor Rick Perry
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 12428
Austin , Texas
78711-2428
Delivery Address:
State Insurance
Building
1100 San Jacinto
Austin , Texas 78701
Citizen's Opinion
Hotline [for Texas
callers]:
(800) 252-9600
Fax:
(512) 463-1849
To e-mail Governor
Perry’s office, go to
http://governor.state.tx.us/contact/,
click “I am registering
my opinion”, click
“Submit”, complete the
information on the
following page, and
click “Submit”.
For more information,
contact AKC’s Government
Relations Department at
(919) 816-3720,
or e-mail
doglaw@akc.org.
