I suppose it was only a matter of time before Texas politicians, still on a high from their glorious victory over the evil, job-killing dunes sagebrush lizard, turned their attention to similarly insidious threats to our economic well-being.
This time, the threat comes from four species of salamander -- the Austin blind, Georgetown, Jolleyville Plateau and Salado -- found only in Central Texas and on the cusp of a listing under the Endangered Species Act. The Austin blind, for example, is found only in and around Barton Springs in Austin and is perennially threatened by stoned college kids frolicking in ridiculously cold water "rapid human population growth.".
But such a listing would, of course, cripple the Texas economy. The economically vital past time of salamander stomping would be outlawed. So would the almost-as-important salamander strangle.
Enter U.S. Senator John Cornyn and Representative John Carter of Round Rock, who on Friday filed the Salamander Community Conservation Act that, contrary to its name, would make it harder to protect the salamanders, by stopping their inclusion as endangered species.
"Just as they hastily tried to list the sand dune lizard in West Texas, the administration is again putting the cart before the horse based on limited data in the face of economic consequences," Cornyn said, according to The Hill. "Our bill will head off a premature listing, allowing conservation efforts already under way to continue without hindering Central Texas from growing and creating jobs."
Lucky for us Texans, we have politicians with the balls to stand up against small reptiles and amphians creatures.
