I wanted to write, “Pat Curry, a man who knows when to pull out”, which is more than I can say for a guy in my neigborhood on child number four, but I didn’t.
Truly, I find a guy who tried, figured out it wasn’t popular and got out a rarity and a pleasant surprise. Ihad a brilliant friend who once told me that my problem was I “stayed” too long at the fair and this time Curry didn’t. I appreciate that and rarely see it so, hey, “thanks”.
Of course, the loyal Harry readers who called his office and/or wrote must take a bit of the credit here, we are a force they truly underestimate every, single, time. So boring.
If you think being on this blog is pleasant, please ask the “venerable” Ralph Strother, or Judge Vik Badscabblehand,
The story is below.
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Texas lawmaker backs off bill to slash state wildlife office
Lawmaker kills bill to get rid of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
The Republican said his bill “might have ruffled some feathers.”
A state lawmaker has decided he will not move forward with a controversial bill he filed to eliminate the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and transfer its responsibilities to three other agencies. In a statement released Monday, state Rep. Pat Curry (R-Waco) acknowledged House Bill 4938 “might have ruffled some feathers,” and added he filed it to foster discussions with TPWD commissioners about proposed regulations of the state’s deer-breeding industry.
“I felt filing the bill was necessary to get the agency’s attention after discussions over proposed regulations on deer breeders had failed,” Curry said, adding he had received complaints about regulations from concerned constituents, landowners and deer breeders. “These proposed regulations, all in the name of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) threaten to infringe upon our private property and small business owner rights.”
As of August 2024, more than 380 cases of fatal CWD had so far been reported in Texas, a record for a yearlong total already. TPWD has taken sweeping measures to prevent the spread of CWD, sparking criticism from Curry among others. The self-proclaimed rancher, farmer, deer hunter, fisherman and small business owner on Monday also cleared up his affiliation with the deer-breeding industry.
“I am NOT a licensed deer breeder, nor have I ever profited from any such venture,” Curry said. “My only interest in filing this bill is to protect my constituents, landowners, and the deer breeding industry, which provides over $9 billion to the Texas economy each year.”
Curry also pledged to work with TPWD “to protect and improve this critical agency by ensuring transparency, clarity, and accountability” when it comes to deer-breeding regulations and other matters.
Under Curry’s proposed bill, the powers, duties and functions of TPWD and the Parks and Wildlife Commission would have been moved under the Texas General Land Office, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Safety. The law would have taken effect Sept. 1, 2025. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller recently told a local news outlet that “it wouldn’t be anything” for the TDA to absorb some of TPWD’s duties, adding the move could save money
Curry sits on the Committee on Delivery of Government Efficiency, Texas’ version of Elon Musk’s DOGE, which aims to reduce government spending and “detect fraud, waste, and abuse, in state government programs and operations.” In his statement, Curry noted the passage of HB 10, which Curry co-authored, would establish the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office to “encourage less regulation and provide transparency and clarity by providing the public with an avenue to review existing regulations and give input to correct or abolish them.”
Under HB 10, the office would require a biennial report to the governor and the Legislative Budget Board with details of their findings. “I believe this bill will help situations like this in the future as Texans will be able to share their concerns in real time and expect real action and accountability,” Curry said.
TPWD did not immediately respond to a request for comment by the time of this writing.
