TexasCHLforum.com

Jumping Frog wrote: First, ,if you are familiar with Texas politics, you know that the legislative session is a very short time window every other year. Effective lobbying recognizes the need to focus efforts on one or two major bills. One cannot tackle everything all at once. Recent sessions have seen NRA/TSRA efforts focused on passing a parking lot bill and a campus carry bill. Personally, I am glad for the parking lot bill protection, which means a whole lot more to me than open carry. After all, I have a gun on my employer's parking lot every day. I also have college-age children and getting campus carry passed is more important to me than open carry.

I'm familiar with how things work. There is a short window when they are in session, but time to prep/lobby/discuss between sessions. You will have people on both sides saying what is important to them, and they are both right. It's good to see that your needs have been met, but others needs haven't and they are passionate about their cause.

Jumping Frog wrote: Second, when the previous open carry bills were poorly drafted, mediocre pieces of work derived in a vacuum and then lobbied in an abrasive and amateur manner, the NRA and TSRA simply had to step back or they risk losing credibility with Legislators that literally took decades to create. The last session was a perfect example, when some of the more vehement open carry proponents where literally spreading hatred, vitriol, and veiled threats to the Legislators who were pro-bill for not acting quickly enough.

So the question would be, where is the well drafted NRA/TSRA sponsored bill or the discussion about it? Has the NRA/TSRA brought in any of the leaders of these groups to discuss getting their buy in on a sponsored bill? I'm sure there's a strategy behind this, but why not communicate the strategy or the fact that there is lobbying going on behind the scenes. At minimum, meet with the leaders of these (multiple) groups together to discuss the strategy and get everyone on the same page and show them that the NRA/TSRA are serious about getting open carry passed. This might help with what you call "juvenile antics and ineffective tactics".

I'm not interested in labeling anyone, so no worries there. Communication can help resolve this issue for many people, but I think you will always have a portion that aren't going to be satisfied, regardless. Two sides to every coin.

Getsome

Charles L. Cotton wrote: Open-carry bills have not been filed "every session for the last 10 years." Only two bills have been filed (2011 and 2013) and neither were NRA bills. NRA and TSRA testified in favor of HB700 in 2013, but that was the extent of our support. It wasn't our bill and we don't do a full court press on anything that isn't our bill. (There's a lot more to our political full-court-press than merely testifying in favor of a bill.) Obviously you are not aware of the efforts to pass open-carry in Texas. The NRA and TSRA are the only organizations that can get it passed and we may not be able to do so if the in-your-face tactics continue. If you truly want open-carry to pass, then leave the rifle at home when you go to the store.

A couple things don't make sense here:

1. Only two bills have been filed and neither were NRA bills.
2. NRA/TSRA testified in favor of HB700, but that was the extent of the support.

then the following statement:

Obviously you are not aware of the efforts to pass open-carry in Texas. The NRA and TSRA are the only organizations that can get it passed.

If the NRA and TSRA aren't filing bills, have testified only on HB700, then what are the other efforts they are making if they are truly the only organizations that can get it passed? I'm sure there may be things going on behind the scenes, but I'd think if the NRA/TSRA were serious about getting it passed (permit or no permit), shouldn't they be putting forth bills each and every legislative session?

A lack of communication will cause a perceived lack of interest. If the NRA/TSRA doesn't communicate to the people that are looking for change, then the people that are looking for change will perceive that the NRA/TSRA have no interest in helping the cause of open carry. When that happens, people will do what they believe needs to be done to move forward. I think that's what is happening in this case.

Getsome

nightmare wrote:Blaming this on pro gun activists is like blaming rape victims for dressing "too sexy" and provoking the attack.