Texas Legislation Update

An interesting bill was introduced by Texas State Representative Joe Deshotel (D-Beaumont) today. This bill is H.B. 1020, a bill "relating to the use, exhibition, or possession of a firearm by public school students participating in certain school-sponsored programs and activities sponsored or supported by the Parks and Wildlife Department."

At first glance, this bill looks pretty good. It appears that this bill would open the door to once again allow public school sponsored shooting sports in Texas.

Current legislation reads:

[A] student shall be expelled from a school if the student, on school property or while attending a school-sponsored or school-related activity on or off of school property:

(1) uses, exhibits, or possesses:

(A) a firearm as defined by Section 46.01(3),Penal Code;

H.B. 1020 would add:

(a)Except as provided by Subsection (k), a student shall be expelled from a school...

Subsection (k) states:

(k) A student may not be expelled solely on the basis of the student ’s use, exhibition, or possession of a firearm that occurs:

(1) at an approved target range facility that is not located on a school campus; and

(2) while participating in or preparing for a school-sponsored shooting sports competition or a shooting sports educational activity that is sponsored or supported by the Parks and Wildlife Department or a shooting sports sanctioning organization working with the department.

Just goes to show that many Texas Democrats can be counted upon to support our right to keep and bear arms much more so than some RINO Republicans from other states.