SAMPLE LETTER(S)
This is a sample letter that you can send to the legislators. You can add or delete the contents, and add any other comments you may have. Remember, send us a copy and include photos if you have any. We need to act fast on this!

SAMPLE LETTER - A
Dear Representative / Senator / Governor / Lt. Governor / Speaker of the House __________________

We are a group of hobbyists who keep reptiles and we vehemently oppose your pending legistation, HB 1309.

We feel our rights to house or purchase ANY reptiles, whether indigenous or not to this country, should be without restraints or dictated by law. We are professionals, zoo curators, students, animal care technicians, breeders and hobbyists, plus we are represented by people from all walks of life.

The impending legislation HB 1309, would prohibit our passion and life long endeavor for caring or studying reptiles. This affects not only Texas residents, but people from other states or countries who bring non-native Texas snakes into Texas.

Did you ever stop to think that many children and adults who are allergic to dogs and cats have found an alternative with snakes and other reptiles? In fact, one of the most popular beginner snakes is the Ball Python which comes from Central Africa. Ball Pythons are a small species, are very hearty and require minimal care, as opposed to dogs and cats. Plus, we know of no one who is allergic to snakes and other reptiles!

What is your agenda behind this H.B. 1309? Who are the constituents who asked you to present this Bill?

We are a huge group of voters and we want our voices to be heard.

Your name
Your address
Your county (if in Texas)

SAMPLE LETTER - B
To the Editor of the ____________________

Unprecedented numbers of Texas children are without insurance, property taxes are sky high, nearly half of our high school kids are dropping out of school, every Texas city and highway has infrastructure problems-yet Representative Hilderbran of Kerrville has taken it upon himself to waste the time and money of this State with House Bill 1309. This proposal will make the possession of snakes in Texas a punishable crime!

Hilderbran proposes that Texas Parks & Wildlife will spend the money to create the infrastructure to issue permits and keep records on the more than 250,000 pet snakes in this state. Hilderbran's proposal will remove income from pet stores, hamper ongoing research, and make all Texas children with pet snakes into criminals.

Surely removing the rights of Texans without just cause, hampering legal commerce, and unnecessarily growing government agencies at the expense of taxpayers are not the expected role of a conservative Republican. Is Hilderbran a liberal in the pocket of the animal rights movement? Did Hilderbran just receive a big donation from PETA?

No justification for this proposal has been offered. There is no scientific, conservation, ecological or legal basis for this proposal. Attempts to communicate with Hilderbran's office have met with silence. I strongly recommend that the citizens of Texas reconsider the intent and the qualifications of this representative.

Sincerely,
Name
Address



SAMPLE LETTER - C
To the honorable ____________________

While the proposed bill created by Representative Harvey Hilderbran and identified as House Bill 1309 might sound good to someone who is afraid of snakes, please consider that there are tens of thousands of Texans who like snakes and who legally keep snakes as pets or for study.

Before we in Texas go and make this a law, first answer what could possibly be the basis for this proposed regulation.

Please be aware that this law would create need for enforcement that currently does not exist to monitor the approximately 3000 species of animals proposed to be removed from Texan possession or controlled and monitored.

Please be aware that this law would create the need for the creation of infrastructure that currently does not exist to issue and maintain records for several hundred thousand animals. I thought Texas Parks and Wildlife was already in the red-this will either sink them or embarrass them and the State throughout the nation.

Please be aware that no such restrictive ordinance exists in any other State, with the exception of Hawaii and there because of the unique needs of that island state.

I would imagine that the uninformed might assume that there are either safety or conservation issues that are the basis of this proposal.

Please be aware that never in the history of Texas has any innocent member of the public been seriously injured by an escaped snake.

Please be aware that no species of non-native snake has ever established a viable self-sustaining wild population within the boundaries of the State of Texas.

It cannot be stated that captive snakes are dangerous to the Citizenry of the State based on history or experience. Likewise, it cannot be proven that captive snakes now or ever have posed a demonstrated danger to the ecology of this State.

House Bill 1309 will cost the citizens of this state possibly millions of tax dollars to enforce. It will require the growth and restructuring of some agency of the State. And most important-it will remove the rights of law-abiding Texans without demonstrated need or other justification.

Please stop this ridiculous proposal before it becomes unnecessary law.

Sincerely,
Name
Address

SAMPLE LETTER - D
Dear ________________________________

It was with great dismay that I became aware of the ridiculous proposal made by Representative Hilderbran and identified as HB 1309.

No where in this proposal is there stated any justification of any sort for this outrageous proposed law.

So far as I can determine, Hilderbran is trying to remove the rights of law-abiding Texans to own pet snakes (my little daughter and her 2-ounce ball python will be a criminal); he is trying to impede and negatively impact the commerce of pet stores throughout the State; he is proposing to spend the hard-earned tax dollars of Texas to enforce this ridiculous whim; he is trying to massively grow some government agency to enact, enforce and monitor people's pets.

What in the world is going on when an elected representative has nothing better to do than go after people's pets instead of working constructively to improve our great State.

It was with amusement that I read on the internet that Hilderbran is considered a conservative Republican. I'd say he is a liberal on the payroll of the HSUS and the animal-rights hardliners.

How in the world can this proposal be justified? Please work to see that this never sees the light of day. This proposal needs to be squashed. Hilderbran should be embarrassed.

Sincerely,
Name
Address

SAMPLE LETTER - E
Dear _________________________

As a biologist/ snake keeper/ snake owner/ herpetologist/ herpetoculturist/ pet-owner [choose one] with XX years of experience maintaining and working with snakes, I was astounded to learn of a law proposed by Representative Hilderbran of Kerrville, Texas that will remove the rights of Texans to own snakes.

How can this be anything more than flatulent legislation-all air and stinks? What in the world can be accomplished by this unexplained and unfounded proposal? Is Hilderbran so bored with being a representative that he now chooses to infringe on the rights of law-abiding Texans instead of actually working on some of the problems of this State?

What is next on his agenda? Should ranchers with exotic game be alarmed that Hilderbran is going after them next? Antelopes are out in the pasture and in direct contact with Texas ecology, after all.

What danger does captive snakes present to Texas ecology? Not one species of non-native snake has ever been established in Texas in a viable wild population, unlike blackbuck antelope that exists in the tens of thousands in the Texas countryside.

Not one innocent member of the public has ever been injured by an escaped snake, unlike the documented predations of pit bulls and other large dogs.

Texas needs representatives that work on the real problems of this State-not a liberal animal rights front man who is trying to remove the rights and the pets of taxpaying Texas citizens. Please help to squash this ridiculous proposed legislation before it becomes yet one more piece of unnecessary legislation costing the Citizens of Texas millions of dollars. Let Representative Hilderbran know he has embarrassed and wasted his position as elected representative.

Sincerely,
Name
Address