NAIS Update

HB 461 is in the Calendars Committee, and has not yet been set for a vote on the House floor.  The full vote may occur later this week or next week.  Even if you have talked to your Representative about NAIS before, it is very important to call specifically about HB 461!  Your Representative needs to be clear about the status of the bill and what you want him or her to do:

1) Vote YES on the floor amendment to add the following protections: (1) full disclosure; (2) the right to withdraw; and (3) a non-discrimination clause that will prevent coercion.  The amendment will be offered by either Representative Miller or Representative Gallego.
 
2) Vote YES on the amended HB 461

Even if your Representative knows you are against NAIS, they won't necessarily know how to vote on the amendment unless you tell them!  And in case someone else offers an amendment that weakens the bill, instead of strengthening it, they need to know specific information about the floor amendment.

If you do not know who your State Representative is, go to http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/

Get talking points and a sample letter for contacting your legislator at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/talking-points.  Read more about all the anti-NAIS bills introduced in Texas at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/texas-status

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at info@farmandranchfreedom.org

Other bills of interest

For this session, our limited resources are focused on the NAIS issue.  But we know that there are many other issues that affect independent agriculture in Texas.  Below are some bills that may be important to our members and subscribers.  "HB" refers to House Bills, and "SB" refers to Senate bills.
You can find the text of each bill at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/.  Type the bill number (for example, "SB1267") in the "Search legislation" box, and hit enter.  We encourage everyone to read the bills and contact their legislators about the ones that they care about! 

Trans-Texas Corridor Bills

SB 1267/ HB 2772: provide for a 2-year moratorium on the privatization of toll roads, including the Trans-Texas Corridor.  Also establish a study group to evaluate the long-term affect of privatizing toll roads.

SB 1210: relating to adequate compensation for landowners whose land is condemned for highway or other transportation purposes. 

SB 1268: prohibits converting existing roads to toll roads.

SB 890: provides for local input regarding roads which intersect the Trans-Texas Corridor and requires TxDOT to connect significant farm-to-market and ranch-to-market roads.

SB 718: replaces the TTC with the Texas Trunk System, a series of by-passes and loops to help congested areas of the state.

SB 1711: requires special commissioners in a condemnation proceeding to consider any diminished access to a landowner's property due to a TxDOT road project.

Water bills

HB 3: deals with establishing and protecting environmental flows for Texas rivers and bays.  Creates an Environmental Flows Advisory Group and a Basin and Bay Area Stakeholders Committee.  HB 3 has passed the Texas House.

HB 4: supports voluntary land stewardship practices that conserve or enhance suitable landscapes and the ecosystem values of the land.  Creates a Water Conservation Advisory Council charged with monitoring water conservation activities, developing a resource library and public recognition program, and reporting on the progress made in water conservation within the state.  HB 4 was considered and left pending in commitee on March 14.

HB 911 and HB 2872: makes significant changes to current regulations governing the interbasin transfers of water. 

HB 1699: gives groundwater conservation districts broad authority to regulate groundwater so as to avoid "waste," as defined by the district. 

HB 1681, HB 2187, and SB 675: relating to the development of regional water supply reservoirs (including designating specific locations as future reservoir sites) and stream segments of unique ecological value.

HB 2470: requires reservoir permit holders to pay a fee on each acre-foot of surface water authorized to be impounded in the reservoir, to be paid to local governmental entities and property owners.  Also provides for protections for landowners whose land is condemned. 

SB 3:  deals with establishing and protecting environmental flows for Texas rivers and bays.  Includes provisions for designating reservoir sites

SB 476: assists landowners in getting government assistance to implement land stewardship practices on their property that benefit the water resources of the state.

SB 714: imposes new requirements on wells for exploring for oil or gas.

Animal Cruelty, Animal Fighting, Horse Slaughter, and Dangerous Animals

HB 297: makes it a criminal offense if a person recklessly kills in a cruel manner or causes serious bodily injury to an animal.  Removes the exemption for killing or administering poison to cattle, horses, sheep, swine or goats unless you are the owner. Bodily injury will also no longer be exempt for livestock.

HB 916: relating to the prosecution and punishment of dog fighting

HB 917: relating to the prosecution and punishment of certain offenses prohibiting animal fighting.

HB 1355: relating to dog attacks on persons and creating a criminal offense

HB 2476/ SB1742: limits the ban on selling horsemeat for human consumption to meat consumed in the United States.  Also requires livestock markets to display a prominent notice that an equine animal sold at the market may be bought for slaughter.

HB 2328/ SB 1100: relating to the offenses of cruelty to livestock and nonlivestock animals.  HB 2328 has been scheduled for a hearing before the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on March 20.

SB 349: relating to the regulation of dangerous pets by certain populous counties and providing a criminal penalty.

SB 405: relating to the regulation of dogs and creating an offense.

SB 411: relating to dog attacks on persons and creating an offense.

SB 701: relating to the prosecution and punishment of dog fighting.

SB 702: relating to the prosecution and punishment of certain offenses prohibiting animal fighting.

Eminent Domain

HB 217: relating to a landowner's repurchase of real property previously acquired by a governmental entity through eminent domain.  Was considered in Committee on February 21, and left pending.

HB 1409: helps ensure that property owners receive fair treatment and adequate compensation if their land is taken using the power of eminent domain. 

HB 1054: requires the condemning authority to pay the property owner's attorney fees and would assess a penalty against the condemning authority if the purchase offer to the property owner is below fair market value. 

HB 1495: the Attorney General would prepare a "Landowner's Bill of Rights."  This "Bill of Rights" would be provided to all property owners at least four weeks before the government or private entity could begin negotiating the purchase price of the property.

HB 1062: allows aditional factors to be considered in compensating the landowner under the condemnation. 

HB 1062: allows the property owner to be awarded attorney fees and expert fees when the value of the condemned property exceeds the offer of the condemning entity.
 
HB 2006: expands an owner's rights to obtain documents relating to eminent domain.  Defines "public use" for eminent domain purposes.  Has been scheduled for a hearing before the Land and Resource Management Committee on March 21.

SB 576: bans governmental or private entities from exercising eminent domain for recreational purposes.  Recreational purposes would include:  parks and recreation systems, improvements or additions to parks and recreation systems, and the creation of a park, greenbelt, or trail.

SJR 3: Proposes a constitutional amendment requiring a two-thirds record vote of the membership of each house to enact a law granting the power of eminent domain.  Approved by the Senate State Affairs committee.

HJR 11 and HJR 12: Proposes constitutional amendments that would allow condemnation only if the public at large, the state, or a political subdivision of the state will ultimately use and own the property taken, damaged or destroyed. 

Agencies

HB 2345: creates an Organic Agricultural Industry Advisory Board to the Texas Department of Agriculture.  Set for hearing before the Agriculture Committee on March 20.
HB 2543/ SB 911: authorizes the Texas Animal Health Commission to continue for 7 more years and provides new authority in some areas

HB 2024/ SB 912: authorizes the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab to continue for 7 more years.  Set for hearing before the Agriculture Committee on March 20.
 
HB 2458/ SB 906: abolishes the Texas Structural Pest Control Board and placing its duties in the Department of Agriculture.  Set for hearing before the Agriculture Committee on March 20.

Real ID

SB 1250 and HB 2869: amends the requirements for a drivers' license in Texas to conform to federal law

HCR 148: a resolution opposing Real ID.

Miscellaneous

HJR 71: proposes a constitutional amendment so that all sales tax revenues generated from the sale, storage, or use of sporting goods be appropriated to the Parks and Wildlife Department for the purposes of funding state and local parks. 

HB 604 and SB 133: relating to wildlife management property tax valuations

SB 408, SB 1577, and SB 1636: relating to county regulation of land development

SB 779 and HB 967: relating to agricultural tax appraisals

HB  88: relating to the evacuation of animals in emergencies

HB 2346: Relating to the authority of a veterinarian to fill certain prescriptions in an emergency.   Set for hearing before the Agriculture Committee on March 20.

Email Alerts

Because of the bulk email programs and ISP restrictions, not every email alert gets to every subscriber.  Please add this address to your white list, and check your spam filter for blocked messages.
 
If you have not been getting regular alerts, you can check our website to see what you've been missing.  Past alerts are posted at http://farmandranchfreedom.org/content/action-alerts.

Working together, we can make our voices heard.
 
Sincerely,
 

Judith McGeary
Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance