SB 730, The Employer Parking Lot Bill...

...has been placed on the House General Calendar for consideration tomorrow.

Having a bill placed on the General Calendar this late in the session is pretty much a death blow to that bill. SB 730 is right there next to SB 204, a bill "Relating to a prohibition of foods containing trans fat."

This is potentially the same fate that awaits SB 1164 (Campus Carry) when it gets to Calendars. I will let you know when it is time to put pressure on the Calendars Committee concerning SB 1164.

For now, here is this morning's fax to Rep. Brian McCall:

J R
xxxx Xxxxxxx
Arlington, TX xxxxx
May 22, 2009

Representative Brian McCall
Chair, House Committee on Calendars

I am writing today concerning SB 730, a bill relating to an employee's transportation and storage of certain firearms or ammunition while on certain property owned or controlled by the employee's employer. This bill is commonly referred to as the "Employer Parking Lot Bill". This morning SB 730 has been placed on the House General Calendar after being stalled in Calendars for over two weeks. This is unacceptable, especially for a bill that passed the Texas Senate with a unanimous vote.

SB 730 should have been placed on the House Major Calendar where it would have had a chance for open debate and a vote on the House floor.

Placing SB 730 on the General Calendar is a procedural trick designed to kill this important bill, again, a bill that passed the Texas Senate with a unanimous vote.

It is a shame that a bill with so much bi-partisan support in the Texas Legislature can be killed by one small committee. It is a larger shame that a Republican Chair of a House Committee would go to such lengths to suppress legislation that is specifically supported in the Texas Republican Party Platform.

During this last election cycle I was a Volunteer Voter Registrar, a Senate District 10 Delegate and an Alternate Delegate to the Republican State Convention. I worked with the Texas Victory PAC and was a campaign volunteer who spent a few weekends walking North Texas neighborhoods, knocking on doors to get out the Republican vote.

To say that I am disappointed with the way SB 730 has been handled by the House Republican leadership would be an understatement.

Let us hope that SB 1164, when it reaches Calendars, receives the attention that it deserves and is fast tracked to a debate on the House floor.

Sincerely,

J R

xxx.xxx.xxxx

Now to send something to the Texas Speaker of the House.