A summary of Legislative Abuse

[LadyViper]

www.logojoe.com/
A SUMMARY OF LEGISLATIVE ABUSE ORCHESTRATED BY
REPRESENTATIVE HARVEY HILDERBRAN DISTRICT 53
PASS THIS ON TO EVERY TEXAN YOU KNOW
ESPECIALLY THOSE IN DISTRICT 53
HB 2414 was introduced in the House with language that would have banned collection of reptiles and amphibians on public roads and right of ways in Texas. Numerous objections and concerns were raised about this ban, and hundreds, or perhaps thousands of concerned Texans wrote letters, called the Capitol, and sent e-mails in opposition to the bill. As a result, the House Representative Tracy King District 80 sponsored an amendment to HB 2414 with text favorable to our hobby. The amended version of HB 2414 was then passed unanimously by the House. Due to time constraints, or more likely pressure from Representative Harvey Hilderbran at the end of the session, HB 2414 then died in the Senate without a vote.
HB 12, an unrelated bill, passed the House and Senate but had to go to a conference committee to resolve differences between the House and Senate version. Neither the senate or house version of HB 12 had any of the HB 2414 text at that time.

According to the Guide to Texas Legislative Information (GTLI):
A conference committee's charge is limited to reconciling
differences between the two chambers, and the committee,
unless so directed, may not alter, amend, or omit text that
is not in disagreement. Nor may the committee add text on any
matter that is not in disagreement or that is not included in
either version of the bill in question.

Representative Harvey Hilderbran got around this limitation by authoring, introducing and passing HR 2912 in the House of Representatives and getting State Senator Craig Estes (R-Wichita Falls) to author, introduce, and pass SR 1195 in the State Senate.

HR 2912 and SR 1195 gave the Conference Committee on HB 12 permission to add the pre-amendment version of HB 2414, despite the fact that this text was defeated via amendment in the House and was never voted on in the Senate, by stating the following:
(9) House Rule 13, Section 9, is suspended to permit the
committee to amend Subchapter A, Chapter 62, Parks and Wildlife
Code, by adding Section 62.0031 to read as follows:
Sec. 62.0031. HUNTING FROM PUBLIC ROAD OR RIGHT-OF-WAY
PROHIBITED. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person may
not hunt a wild animal or bird when the person is on a public road or
right-of-way.
(b) This section does not apply to the trapping of a raptor
for educational or sporting purposes as provided by Chapter 49.
Explanation: The change is necessary to prohibit certain
persons from hunting a wild animal or bird when the person is on a
public road or right-of-way.[/list]

The Conference Committee on HB 12, chaired by Harvey Hilderbran and Craig Estes then drafted the Conference Committee Report that drastically changed HB 12. The revised bill was then pushed through the House and Senate in the end of session rush.

The end result is that a ban on collecting Reptiles and Amphibians from public roads and right of ways that was defeated in the House and killed in the Senate by committee delays, was snuck into another bill via riders and passed into law assuming signature by the Governor.

These actions by Hilderbran and Estes thwarted the intent the Texas House, ignored the inaction of the Senate, and blindsided thousands of Texas hobbyist and sportsmen to push the agenda of Representative Harvey Hilderbran.

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
Because this is a clear and blatant abuse of the legislative process in Texas and it illustrates how an unethical Legislator can push through an unfavorable agenda.

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
Send a message.
1) Let our Legislators know that these types of abuses will not be tolerated.
2) Campaign against Representative Harvey Hilderbran and Senator Craig Estes.
3) Call their offices and voice your displeasure.
4) Forward this Web Page to EVERY Texan you know.
5) E-mail a link to this page to every single contact in your address book.
6) Call Governor Rick Perry

CALL GOVERNOR RICK PERRY AND URGE HIM TO VETO HB 12 BECAUSE OF REPRESENTAITVE HARVEY HILDERBRAN'S MISCONDUCT
Telephone
Citizen's Assistance Hotline: [phone]
[for Texas callers]
Citizen's Opinion Hotline: [phone]
[for Texas callers]
Citizen's Assistance and Opinion Hotline: [phone]
[for Austin, Texas and out-of-state callers]
Office of the Governor Main Switchboard: [phone]
[office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST]
Citizen's Assistance Telecommunications Device
If you are using a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD), call 711 to reach Relay Texas
Texas Governor's Office

CONTACT INFO FOR REPRESENTAITVE HARVEY HILDERBRAN - CALL HIM NOW!
District: 53
Capitol Office: CAP GW.12
Capitol Address: P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
Capitol Phone: [phone]
District Address: 125 Lehmann Drive
Kerrville, TX 78028
District Phone: [phone]

CONTACT INFO FOR SENATOR CRAIG ESTES - CALL HIM NOW!
District: 30
Capitol Office: CAP 3E.8
Capitol Address: P.O. Box 12068, Capitol Station
Austin, TX 78711
Capitol Phone: [phone]
District Address: 2716 Commerce St., Suite 101
Wichita Falls, TX 76301
District Phone: [phone]