Please help stop HB2833

[crispini]

Hey, ya'll, as a local activist I am really concerned with my local Conservation district. This would directly impact our cities ability to control growth. Please sign and pass it on!

From the Sierra club:

Please read the following message and take action by clicking the link below.

Problem:
The Texas Legislature is considering legislation that would undermine the ability of cities and other local governments to regulate development and protect water quality.


Solution:
Stop the passage of HB 2833 by the Texas Senate.

Action Needed:
Call or fax your state senator and tell them to block HB 2833 from
being considered on the Senate floor.

Deadline for responding:
Please take action by Monday, May 23, 2005.

To send a message, please click the link below:

http://lonestar.sierraclubaction.org/showalert.asp?aaid=1315

[pmbryant]

1. Thanks. I've got a lot more information on this destructive bill

I've written about this atrocious bill extensively at my blog over the last six weeks or so. I have dubbed it the Taxpayer Extortion Act since it will force citizens to fork over large amounts of money to irreponsible developers to get them not to pollute our water supplies.

These three posts give plenty of background on this issue:

Paying polluters not to pollute
What is the Texas Landowners Conservancy?
Extortion and the Ag Commissioner

My most recent post, from last Friday.

http://pmbryant.typepad.com/b_and_b/2005/05/backers_of_taxp.html">Backers of Taxpayer Extortion Act feeling the heat?

It's looking like the Senate vote could come at any time, so action is needed ASAP. Thanks for highlighting this bill at DU, crispini.

--Peter

[sonias]

3. Great blog pmbryant

Did we pick this one up in our list of Texas blogs a few weeks back? Crispini started a great thread on Texas blogs. Make sure you add yours to that thread. Someday we want the information to be updated to the Campaign Underground.

Sonia

[sonias]

2. Just got the Texas Action Alert on the same bill - done

http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/OpposeHB2833/gwdk62z5jkj67

(TexAN)
Sonia

[melissinha]

4. How about HB 2313/SB 1091?

Similar legislation:

HB 2313 and SB 1091:
Sec. 21.153. LOCAL REGULATION. (a) A political subdivision may not
adopt an ordinance or rule that restricts the planting, sale, or
distribution of noxious or invasive plant species.

From Cindy Symington:
"Certainly, if passed, these bills will prevent Texas farmers from
having any say-so about GM crops being grown adjacent to organically
produced crops or any other non-GMO crops or gardens. And as we all already know from "The Future of Food," if passed, it would be only a matter oftime before GM contamination of virtually all Texas crops as seed blowsinto neighboring fields, giving Monsanto and the other 4-5 big aghybrid patent developers the right to sue farmers for patent violation (and the end of organic designation altogether). This is obviously part of a systematic move to facilitate GM introduction into as many states as possible before anyone is the wiser."