Nope. We're not doing any puns. Tempting as it may seem.

Good news for roosters: This morning Rep. Wayne Christian, R-Center, filed House Bill 1320 to place possession of cock-fighting equipment on a par with owning other criminal paraphernalia.

Cockfighting is already illegal under Texas’ animal cruelty laws, but as a big cockfighting ring bust in Dallas last year proved, it’s still legal to possess the equipment. Christian’s proposal would amend the current dog-fighting laws, which are part of the property seizure statutes that also cover equipment relating to drugs, child pornography, illegal firearms and unlicensed gambling.

The bill text is actually quite educational in a sickening way (Newsdesk admits, it never knew the difference between a gaff and a slasher before. May have been happier before we did.)

This article appears in February 13 • 2009.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.