I’m not sure about the numbers, but it sounded pretty decisive. Many dog owners showed up in opposition during one of the open meetings.
From a local bully group:
One down and 14 more to win in Texas!
HB 1982 by Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D) relating to vicious dogs, is dead according to Jon Ryan Parker, assistant clerk of the House County Affairs Committee. This was reported to RPOA by one of our members so we just called to doublecheck. The clerk said she can’t say it is dead; only that “there are no plans to hear the bill.” When we asked if the bill could come back up again, she emphatically said “No!” There is no companion bill in the Senate to HB 1982.
This is the bill that many cities and especially San Antonio city officials have diligently tried to make breed specific, allowing cities to regulate certain dog breeds. The bill allowed vicious dog determinations on dogs confined in their own back yards that had not bitten and ridiculous requirements for all dogs over 40 lbs. The San Antonio Express-News editorial board also urged it be made breed specific and slanted newspaper coverage for the past two weeks to support their position.
Thanks to all of you who went to Austin for the committee hearing. Jeff Shaver and Zandra Anderson, our two attorneys, arrived around 1:30 p.m. for the hearing scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and did not get to testify until around 10:30 or 11:00 p.m. This made it 1:30 a.m. before they got back home in Houston.