Posted on 09/04/2017 4:32:43 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A new state law is in effect aimed at stopping people from littering and the solution may lie in putting offenders to work.
According to House Bill 1884, litter bugs could face up to 60 hours of community service and hefty fines for dropping trash.
It's something local business owners told NBC 5 that they welcome.
Business is booming at Brain Dead Brewing in Deep Ellum and co-owner Jeff Fryman says he takes great pride in making sure his customers are comfortable.
"Even if it means going out and sweeping to show the people that I work with you've got to play your little part," Fryman said of cleaning dirty sidewalks.
"If I'm walking past the place, I associate it with that dirtiness because it's not the restaurant's fault at all. Those people who do it, they don't care about your business and affecting other people," he said.
Fryman says he's encouraged that the new anti-trash law will help hold litter bugs accountable.
"That little piece of thing that you're going to throw, I would never do it again," he said.
"It'll be nice to have some law enforced," said Francisco Dominguez, who not only owns a business in downtown Dallas, but he also lives there. "Especially when you have a pet and your walking through and personally I use baby wipes on her when she goes into my apartment," he said.
Now lawmakers hope their message is clear. Don't mess with Texas.
Anyone caught and convicted of littering could be sentenced up to 60 hours of community service.
"If you stop 10 people from doing it, then it's a lot and a good idea," Fryman said.
The new law went into effect on September 1.
Are homeless exempt?
“Are homeless exempt?”
If not, a judge will take care of that.
That’s one thing I liked about my few weeks in Germany. The place was spotless. Cleaner than Disneyworld. Oh, and the beer.
Hopefully this extends to the idiots throwing cigarettes out of their cars/trucks. I see far too many little burned areas along the Texas highways every summer.
Ah yes.
With civil forfeiture belatedly being addressed the revenue state desperately needs a new source of fines they won’t be expected to prove before a real jury.
To
One man’s trash is another’s treasure. Who’s to judge?
“Are homeless exempt?”
We’re talking about Texas not California...
Was at the Bedford Blues festival this weekend up near Dallas. Garbage cans were emptied when full and people were picking up bottles and stuff left on the grass. They did an awesome job keeping the place clean and the attendees did their best to not litter.
I am sure they will exempt smokers and the homeless and focus on generating revenue by targeting people with money. It should really be heavy on communty service hours as this will cut into many peoples lives more than a fine.
Torn because I hate litterbugs, but I hate more government revenue collection schemes. Make it all community service hours and I am fine with it.
Funny my mother taught me not to throw things on the ground when I was a child.
I hate litterbugs. And thieves. And Illinois Nazis. And Nazis claiming to be anti-Nazi/anti-Fascist. A pox on them all.
My guess is that’s not the case in this Merkel/Muzzie Era
Make it subject to a jury trial if the alleged litterer wishes one, and write the statute so that intent is required.
Every disgusting Sh!tbag turd that wants to maintain the corrupt money seizure state of affairs we have now will insist that those two things are unnecessary.
Nobody else will.
I pick up at least one 55 gallon barrel of trash on my 1 side of 1 mile of state highway about every two weeks. The indian commune road looks like a dump.
I’d love to see a 60 hour community service sentence for every litter caught. They should expand this to citizen arrest and judge ruling only. Quick conviction then put the cretins to work.
You people that aren’t from Texas, go mind your state’s business. The “Don’t Mess With Texas” program has been a huge success just as our hurricane preparations have been. It is not about state revenue it is about Texas Pride!
We have over a mile of TXDot frontage and since the Don’t Mess with Texas program started, our litter problem has decreased significantly. The frontage areas used to be filled with beer can hustlers, I have not seen one in years... The state used to have road crews cleaning the frontage areas, now there is a monthly cleanup done by civic volunteer groups in the “adopt a highway program”...
And oh by the way Texas does not need to fine its citizens to stay solvent, we do that by limiting our law makers to only three months every two years to look after the State’s business...
Now go mind your states business and leave Texas alone...
As you mentioned, Texas already has laws that work. That means we don't need this bloated draconian power grab to fix our non-problem.
The only reason this was introduced is that civil asset forfeiture laws are being reformed and local municipalities are seeking a way to seize money outside of proving malfeasance in a jury trial. One hundred percent of actual Texans who support this law as written are aware of that and want the revenue collection by badges to continue Willy nilly.
Law enforcement won’t catch litterers. They can’t catch them in the act. The money is in people driving 50 in a 40 zone.
Do you think litterbugs are mostly Democrats? Isn’t there a lot more litter in Democrat areas than Republican areas?
Our local TV channel in Dallas also pointed out that if you litter with something less than 5 lbs. you can also be fined $500; if over 5 lbs., the fine could be up to $2000.
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