List of Cities in Texas wanting BSL

The Fort Worth City Council approved a legislative agenda for the upcoming
session earlier this month that included monitoring dog breed specific
legislation. Reid Rector, Fort Worth’s governmental relations director, said
the city does not currently have a position on the issue.

“There is no specific strategy or agenda on the table,” Rector said. “I
think the appropriate attitude is to monitor the legislation…what are the
sanctions, what are the ramifications and then make an informed decision as
to whether that’s something we want to support or not.”

I am already receiving e-mails and phone calls from responsible dog owners who are afraid to buy a home, or are afraid they will have to move because their city is among those asking for BSL. They ask me where it is safe to move – I tell them that it is impossible to know what cities or even counties will pass breed restrictions in the future unless the state law remains as-is. And it won’t remain as-is unless we fight for it and show that we deserve it.

The City Council without comment Tuesday adopted Frisco’s 2009 legislative agenda, a list of 56 issues to watch when state lawmakers begin their biennial session next month.

The city plans to oppose new laws that would: cap cities’ revenue streams including the property tax rate, set minimum staffing levels in fire departments, or impose mandatory water rate structures.

The city will lobby in favor of legislation that allows cities to ban specific dog breeds, requires voters to show photo identification at the polls, and blocks roads built with gas tax funding from being converted into toll roads.

The Texas Municipal League, which is a lobbying group for cities, has this on their legislative agenda and they have been passing the resolution around for cities to pass.