"Waiting Room"

[TimmyD]

I am officially in the waiting room. I took the class from Chas in AUGUST!!!. Submitted the application and received a letter on August 26th that DPS had received my application. Received the Ike letter on September 25th. Corresponded with the DPS CHL Bureau in November and received the same response as others "due to Ike, the background checks are delayed."

Since I live in League City, I've contacted Representative Larry Taylor's office and asked for help. His aide has talked to the CHL folks, who claim they will try to expedite, since its been over 100 days. (I really disliked being another person that felt compelled to complain to elected officials.)

I'll keep you all posted on any progress.

TimmyD.

[Jake]

TimmyD,

I highly recommend that you write to State Representative Joe Driver and ask for his assistance. He is the Chairman of the House Law Enforcement Committee. I contacted his office last week ( after trying the Gov and my State Rep) and was advised today (118 days waiting) that my application had been approved and the plastic is on the way. You can contact him via his website.

[HGWC]

Don't be too quick to thank our legislators. One of the things we've all been waiting on is all the applications that have been expedited by the legislators and other people with political power. I wonder how much time this one trooper in Harris county has spent in the last six months digging through all these applications and expediting just some in order to satisfy political influence? Is it just the odd exception that we should thank the legislators for assisting us with, or is this more like political favoritism that is actually part of the problem? Selfishly, I thanked my legislators for assisting too, but my apologies to everyone else that you had to wait for the trooper to dig through all the applications and process mine out of order.

[seamusTX]

I understand the sentiment about "jumping the line," but ...

There is an often-overlooked right guaranteed by the First Amendement to the U.S. Constitution: To petition government for redress of grievances. You have the right to ask your representatives for any remedy that is in their power to give legally.

I also think that the number of applicants bugging their reps is going to assure that the legislature does something to make the problem go away.

We can argue all day about whether that is fair, but it is the way our government is set up.

BTW, there are a lot of similar things. You can ask your U.S. representative or senator for an appointment to one of the military academies. Some who asks has a much better chance of getting an appointment than someone who doesn't.

- Jim

[Jake]

HGWC,

I don't consider it "jumping the line" when I've been waiting 118 days while October applicants are already being processed... The fact of the matter is , there is no line. I was advised by a Representative of the House Law Enforcement Committee that background investigations are completed by local law enforcement and not one DPS officer for all of Harris County. I'm not sure what to believe, but what I do know is, 7 days to the day after contacting Joe Driver I received my plastic which was overnighted from Austin. If I jumped the line in front of those waiting longer than 118 days, my apologies...If you've been waiting less than that..good luck and you know what to do when you run out of patience.

[will381796]

Hey all:

Took my CHL class with Josh Felker at Bass Pro Shops San Antonio on November 22nd. Submitted my application online November 23rd. I received in the mail my PIN number and packet November 27th and returned the signed paperwork, finger print cards, etc the following day. Today (December 13th) my online status has finally been updated to show that my application is being processed. Now the waiting begins...

[TimmyD]

Jake,

Thanks for the advice. I didn't contact Driver's office, but did contact my Representative, Larry Taylor. I received an immediate reply and his office was on the phone with DPS later that day. The CHL Bureau has called me and told me my packet was pulled and is receiving expedited treatment. He said expect approval sometime in a week. I'll not hold my breath, but am encouraged about the communication and what I was told.

TimmyD.

[wright09]

This is day 131 for me. I started emailing my State Rep and The Governors office three weeks ago. I emailed both, two times, and called my rep last Monday. The office worker told me he would contact DPS right then and either he or DPS would call me back. No call back from either as yet. Called DPS today and got the same old verbiage about Ike and was also treated with a none caring spirit from the man on the line. At this point I really do not know just what it will take to get what we have a constitutional right to have in the first place.

Tired and Disgusted

[TimmyD]

Update:
Day 141......and still waiting. ...........

Have spoken with the CHL office 5 times. They are supposed to be expiditing. That was a month ago.

[varko]

Update:
Day 141......and still waiting. ...........

Have spoken with the CHL office 5 times. They are supposed to be expiditing. That was a month ago.

Your previous post was making me feel fairly optimistic as I just sent an email to Mr. Taylor earlier today. But this last post just shot that down.

[frazzled]

Greetings from a new member
7/23/08 Completed CHL class and fingerprints (Harris County)
7/27/08 Return receipt of completed application
12/31/08 received notice further information requested
1/8/09 sent information
1/18/08 notice application complete on website-certificate issued (yes on a Sunday)

-awaiting card in mail.

[ChrisB]

Day 1 let the wait begin.

[TimmyD]

Ive also posted in a couple other spots on this site.

Historical Events that have happened since I applied for my Texas Concealed Handgun License.....

1. Hurricane Ike hit Galveston and Houston, and much of the area has since recovered
2. Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day, and MLK day have come and gone.
3. Baseball season ended, the World Series played.
4. College Football season completed and Bowl Championship game held.
5. Pro Football regular season ended, NFC and AFC championship games complete.
6. Paid my annual property taxes.
7. Celebrated a birthday, my wife’s, birthday and our anniversary.
8. The stock market and worldwide financial markets have crashed
9. Gasoline has gone from $4.00 a gallon to $1.50 a gallon
10. The Iraq surge has been successful, and troops have begun drawing down.
11. The Texas Legislature was called into session
12. A new president has been elected and has taken office

Despite all this “progress,” I still see this message on the DPS CHL website

“Processing Application”

[Totally Frustrated]

Ive also posted in a couple other spots on this site.

Historical Events that have happened since I applied for my Texas Concealed Handgun License.....

1. Hurricane Ike hit Galveston and Houston, and much of the area has since recovered
2. Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day, and MLK day have come and gone.
3. Baseball season ended, the World Series played.
4. College Football season completed and Bowl Championship game held.
5. Pro Football regular season ended, NFC and AFC championship games complete.
6. Paid my annual property taxes.
7. Celebrated a birthday, my wife’s, birthday and our anniversary.
8. The stock market and worldwide financial markets have crashed
9. Gasoline has gone from $4.00 a gallon to $1.50 a gallon
10. The Iraq surge has been successful, and troops have begun drawing down.
11. The Texas Legislature was called into session
12. A new president has been elected and has taken office

Despite all this “progress,” I still see this message on the DPS CHL website

“Processing Application”

Amazing isn't it? Go ahead and write all the state reps, senators or anyone else you want, and you will come to the same conclussion as I. NOBODY CARES!

I take that back. DEDE KEITH CARES! or so she says. I had a response from the Governors office in the mail today. Thanks me for contacting the Governor, and understands my Concerns. States she has contacted Colonel Stan Clark, Director of Texas DPS on my behalf, and requests his assistance in reviewing and responding both to myself and the Governors office on the Information I submitted. I'm gonna start holding my breathe now. Bet I'm really blue before my status changes. I'll let ya know.

[Oldgringo]

Ive also posted in a couple other spots on this site.

Historical Events that have happened since I applied for my Texas Concealed Handgun License.....

1. Hurricane Ike hit Galveston and Houston, and much of the area has since recovered
2. Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Day, and MLK day have come and gone.
3. Baseball season ended, the World Series played.
4. College Football season completed and Bowl Championship game held.
5. Pro Football regular season ended, NFC and AFC championship games complete.
6. Paid my annual property taxes.
7. Celebrated a birthday, my wife’s, birthday and our anniversary.
8. The stock market and worldwide financial markets have crashed
9. Gasoline has gone from $4.00 a gallon to $1.50 a gallon
10. The Iraq surge has been successful, and troops have begun drawing down.
11. The Texas Legislature was called into session
12. A new president has been elected and has taken office

Despite all this “progress,” I still see this message on the DPS CHL website

“Processing Application”

Amazing isn't it? Go ahead and write all the state reps, senators or anyone else you want, and you will come to the same conclussion as I. NOBODY CARES!

I take that back. DEDE KEITH CARES! or so she says. I had a response from the Governors office in the mail today. Thanks me for contacting the Governor, and understands my Concerns. States she has contacted Colonel Stan Clark, Director of Texas DPS on my behalf, and requests his assistance in reviewing and responding both to myself and the Governors office on the Information I submitted. I'm gonna start holding my breathe now. Bet I'm really blue before my status changes. I'll let ya know.

Mrs. Oldgringo's plastic was held up on account of "bad" fingerprints. After submitting the fourth set of prints and then WRITING the Gov., Lt. Gov, Head of CHL and State Senator, she received her plastic 160 days after initial submission. The operative word here is WRITING. The letter to our represntative did not get a response. The others did.