Saturday, May 09, 2009

Texas Campus Carry is Moving Forward

HB 1893, our Texas Campus Carry bill, has been set on the General Calendar. This means that the House will have an open debate and a vote on HB 1893 next week. Texas Legislature Online indicates that this could happen as early as Monday.

Now is the time for you to contact your Rep (again) and ask them to support HB 1893 and oppose any amendments not considered favorable by the bill's author Rep. Driver.

In an email from Tara Reilly (our NRA lobbyist for Texas):

Dear Campus Carry Supporter:

On Friday, the House Calendars Committee took an important step and set HB 1893, landmark pro-Second Amendment legislation, for a vote next week by the full House.

House Bill 1893 by State Representative Joe Driver (R-Garland) would allow Concealed Handgun Licensees to protect themselves on the campuses of public colleges and universities. Campus settings are not "crime-free" zones. Adult students, faculty, staff and visitors who are 21 or older, who pass an extensive state and federal criminal records check, and who complete a rigorous handgun training course, should not be denied their right to self-defense simply because they study, live, work on or visit a college or university campus. CHLs have been lawfully carrying handguns for protection virtually everywhere in Texas for more than a dozen years, and there is no statistical data or evidence that they would suddenly transform into irresponsible criminals if legally allowed to enter a college or university setting.

This important self-defense reform needs to pass this year, before the anti-gun extremists in Washington gain momentum that filters down to the state level. Please call and email your State Representatives and urge them to SUPPORT HB 1893 on the House floor and to OPPOSE any amendments not supported by the bill sponsor.
It is important to take a moment or two and check here to see if your rep is a sponsor/author of this bill. If they are, please be sure to thank them for their support in your communications. I think it is also important to add a fax to your communication efforts. Faxes and emails over the weekend, followed up with calls on Monday morning will be the most effective way of expressing your support for this bill.

On the Senate side of things, SB 1164 is still pending in the State Affairs Committee. A quick note to these committee members would also be helpful to getting this important legislation passed and signed in to law.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

The way this bill was played, I wonder if the entire plan was to wait till the last minute, this way both sides would put in the most amount of support. I keep having the people in my group pushing and the CR at UTA are pushing hard... Hopefully we will have verdict by the end of the week

Bob S. said...

Just called Rep. Diane Patrick and left a message asking for her support.

I'll shoot an email also tomorrow.

JR, thanks for staying on top of the legislative efforts.

John R said...

That is how the Parking Lot bill was defeated last year, stuck in Calendars until it was too late. That was the plan for Campus Carry this time around, but support for the bill is to strong to bury it like that.