There are countless wonderful reasons for tourists to visit our great state of Texas. People can stand before the Alamo and remember the moment when a small band of brave men stood firm for our country. Check out the Dallas-Ft. Worth area if you want to spend some time in an overwhelming and thriving metropolis. If you are fascinated by space travel, why would you go anywhere but Houston? If you are a sports fan, from the high school through the professional level, you simply cannot beat the teams and athletes that Texas offers in every state. Did I mention the food, the music, the rodeos, and open expanses of nature? Apparently, there is yet another popular reason to visit Texas — snakes!
The state of Texas, and specifically the area of West Texas, receives around $2 million in revenue every year from people who come to our state based on their love of reptiles and amphibians. We have quite the variety of such animals, and interested collectors travel here to find their very own specimen. Representatives Joe Farias and Tracy King have co-sponsored legislation that would protect snake hunters. Under House Bill 1500, people would be allowed to capture, trap or hunt such animals from roadways and right-of-ways. If this bill is signed into law, will we see cars with out-of-state tags crawling along the slow lanes of our highways looking for that treasured species of snake that would complete their perfect collection? Will lizards be more careful to stay hidden amongst the brush instead of hanging out at the local stop sign?
At Bertolino LLP, we are always monitoring the actions taking place in Austin. Our state legislators obviously address a wide range of policy issues and we know that it is important for attorneys to stay up-to-date on the latest legal changes. We will follow the status of snake hunters along with the other congressional bills found on the docket of these busy lawmakers. If you have any questions about your standing with any of our state laws, please contact our Austin, Houston, or San Antonio office today.
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