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Called and left voicemail on Calendars Committee number. Called Chairman McCall's Austin office and the phone just rang. This was almost 4:00 p.m., so I may have been too late in the day. Sent a fax to Chairman McCall's Austin office. If interested, his fax number is 512-463-5896.

I am, though, extremely encouraged by the Senate vote: 31-0! I think that sends a definite message to both the business lobbyists and to the members of the House.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6341952.html

Been quite a while since I've been able to post...long story. However, just wanted pass along my communications on HB1301 and SB730.

On February 20 I faxed my Senator, Dan Patrick, and Representative, Gary Elkins. No resonse from Elkins, but he later signed on as a co-author of SB730. The first fax was way too long, but I decided not to chop it down. I spent a few sentences describing the experience of an individual voter (me), and what I faced as a long-time employee of a major company that forbids firearms anywhere on its properties, and that owns large tracts of land surrounding its facilities making alternative parking impossible.

Then I pretty much used the bullet-points Charles provided in his first post in this thread. Without overdoing it, I try to keep in front of them that I am a voting supporter in their District; everything always opens and closes that way.

I received a nice letter from Dan Patrick; obviously a form letter from staff, but I was still encouraged that there already was a nice form letter in place. In part, it said:

Dan Patrick wrote:I am a strong proponent of Second Amendement rights. For that reason, I am in support of SB 730, which would allow employees to transport and store lawfully-owned firearms in their locked, privately-owned vehicles in employer-owned parking lots. I also support provisions in the bill that will allow employers to regulate and enforce firearm policies inside the workplace.

I followed up with another fax thanking him for his reply, and for his commitment to the support of Second Amendment rights.

I also sent Gary Elkins a follow-up fax. Gary is Vice Chairman of the Business and Industry Committee, so in addition to thanking him for his co-authorship, I wanted to keep in front of him my awareness of the importance of that role in the pending consideration of HB1301.

I hope we all continue the grass-roots communication--whether our reps are solidly behind the Bill or not--and that this one can actually have a chance to pass this year.