Please read this concerning the new proposed laws

[Viper]

We are making the effort to personally drive out to Austin for the meeting to address the new proposed regulation of keeping of ANY non-native snakes. The state wishes to charge for permits for any venomous or non-venomous reptiles that are not native to Texas. The same laws were enacted in Colorado and, after it passed, the price for permits increased by $50 per year to the point that it rapidly becomes cost-prohibitive to keep snakes. Essentially it represents a passive way to slowly and quietly abolish the keeping of reptiles.

If you are as passionate as most folks are about this wonderful and interesting hobby of ours, we urge you to meet us out there!

The meeting will be at the Capitol Building in Austin this Tuesday at 2pm in room D2.014.

If you cannot make it, I urge you to type/write a letter stating your feelings and input on this and either bring it to the ETHS meeting tonight, drop it by our house, scan and email, or fax it. You can call me at 281.855.0078 for fax instructions. Notarized would be best, but something is also better tan nothing. A notarized letter simply carries more impact. Please do not just email me! Compose a letter and get it to us with your signature! These can be sent to [e-mail]. We must receive them by Sunday afternoon, as we will be leaving on other business Sunday night and need to take the letters with us.

OR you can sit by, do nothing, and leave the responsibility for protecting YOUR rights to me, Pam, and everyone else.

PLEASE, if you cannot attend the meeting it is understandable. If you won't make the effort to jot down a few words to protect your right to keep and care for these beautiful animals maybe you don't deserve to do so.

I apologize if my directness here offends anyone. However, if you cannot understand my passionate pleas here then you are observing the difference between a casual interest and a lifelong passion.

Please help if you can by attending the meeting or sending a letter, and by passing this info on to anyone you know that enjoys keeping snakes, or supports our right to do so!

Kerry and Pam

Houstonreptile.com

East Texas Herpetological Society

Austin Herpetological Society

[LadyViper]

For those of you that have not heard yet, We showed up at the court house with a powerful force of caring reptile owners and booklets full of letters and emails you have sent. The bill for HB 1309, was post-poned pending a re-write. David Barker will head that up! I will post more on this later. Many Thanks to all who made the effort, it was the only thing that made the difference. This bill would have passed if you had not shown up at the capitol and written letters yesterday. Had more people shown up, it might have even been cancelled but, has it stands this is still a Win!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you have any ideas (not opinions on the bill) on how the bill should be written contact Davis Barker he will be handling this.