Public Hearing on Licensed Concealed Carry on Texas College Campuses

The Senate State Affairs Committee will be holding a public hearing on SB 1164, a bill relating to the carrying of concealed handguns on the campuses of institutions of higher education, this coming Monday (April 27).

SB 1164 is the Senate companion to House Bill 1893. If you have been following the campus carry legislation here in Texas, you know that HB 1893 has made it through the Public Safety Committee with a couple of modifications to the "as introduced" bill. HB 1893 is now in the Calendars Committee.

Back to the Senate Bill. It is important that we contact the Senators on the State Affairs Committee and ask them to support SB 1164. The anti's are working hard to defeat these bills, we have to work harder to see them through.

Committee Members are:

Senator Robert Duncan (Chair)

Senator Bob Deuell (Vice Chair)

Senator John Carona

Senator Rodney Ellis

Senator Troy Fraser

Senator Chris Harris

Senator Mike Jackson

Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr

Senator Leticia Van de Putte

Take a few moments, write up a basic fax supporting campus carry, and send it off to these Senators.

Here is the rough draft of what I am sending the Republican members of the committee:

Dear Senator Duncan:

I am writing you today to ask for your support of SB 1164, a bill “Relating to the carrying of concealed handguns on the campuses of institutions of higher education”.

The concept of “Gun Free School Zones” is a failure. It is time we put this experiment in futility aside and allowed the responsible adults who have obtained a Texas Concealed Handgun License the opportunity to efficiently and effectively defend themselves, even on college campuses. The invisible line that prohibits the responsible CHL holder from carrying a firearm on campus does nothing to deter those with an evil intent from doing so.

Your Republican constituents (along with many Democrats) want you to support this legislation. Passing a campus carry bill is so important that mention of it is made in the Texas Republican Party Platform:

“We believe the Legislature should enact legislation: allowing: Concealed Handgun License holders to carry concealed weapons on publicly owned institutions of learning…”

Please support SB 1164

Sincerely,

JR

Quick, simple and to the point.