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C-dub wrote: Or they might sue you for tattling on them.

Well, true, but my nature is sometimes best served by the barbaric Yawp! I must sound o'er the rooftops. Liberals should understand barbaric yawps, shouldn't they?

I can't sit on my hands like I ought to, sometimes. I wrote to the Assistant AG who wrote the opinion letter to Brazos County, and to each Brazos County Commissioner, the Brazos County Attorney, and their County Judge.

That was on the 29th, two business days ago, barely enough time for the US Mail to motivate a carrier pigeon for the trip.

Today I got a call from the AG's office - a very friendly, cheerful call - wanting to respond in person to my letter, and to assure me the AG was pursuing the issue. The first step, apparently, is the appeal of the Waller County judicial miscarriage.

Now to see if I get any response from Brazos County. If so, I wonder if their response will be as collegial as the AG's reaction. The tone of all my letters was the same, about as confrontational as Fess Parker at a Founder's Day picnic.

I'm encouraged. The call from the AG was like talking to a fellow shooter at a gun range. Animated and friendly.

There is hope.

Being the obsessive compulsive geek that I am, I called the Brazos County Attorney, who forwarded me to someone who answered the phone with a nicely authoritative, "Courthouse Security."

He confirmed all you gun nuts (and me, too) can leave the toys at home. He said the AG told them they weren't required (cough) to post 30.06 so they took the signs down.

The authority they enforce to keep the riff-raff out is 46.03. I believe the specific parts they are misconstruing are:

A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, illegal knife, club, or prohibited weapon listed in Section 46.05(a)... on the premises of any government court or offices utilized by the court, unless pursuant to written regulations or written authorization of the court

The term "premises" is covered in 46.05:

"Premises" means a building or a portion of a building. The term does not include any public or private driveway, street, sidewalk or walkway, parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area.

I couldn't stand it. I called the Brazos County Sheriff's Office and asked if the entire courthouse building was off limits to lawful carry.

The dispatcher who answered the phone said it was. After assuring her I wasn't going to do anything crazy I asked if she knew under what authority the County was allowed to make that ban.

She referred me to the signs on the outside of the courthouse. Otherwise, she didn't know.

That's really a shame to put law enforcement in that position. C'mon, HB560!

It's funny, really. Brazos County has no authority to control handguns anywhere in their courthouse, judge's chambers, anywhere - except against those few of us who have gone to the expense and trouble to get the license.

The Legislature has already banned the masses from handgun carry just about anywhere, including their precious courthouse.

Brazos County should thank us as the source of any limited control they have over who carries where - we, our law-abiding good nature, and our handgun licenses are what empower them in some limited capacity to have that authority.

You'd think they wouldn't want to tip over that applecart. Don't they want nice things?

ScottDLS wrote:By telling you you can't enter with a concealed handgun, the deputy was violating 411.209 by "providing" you notice orally. The question is what are you going to do about it other than writing another letter and waiting another year?

As I read the law, not that I agree with the concept, the government commits a crime by providing notice you can't carry under the provisions of 30.06.

If they say you can't carry just because primae noctis or some such, avoiding mention of 30.06, I don't think they violate the signage law.

Is there any law saying a license holder's privileges can't be arbitrarily suspended? LEO's can disarm you in a traffic stop, is there anything that stops them from disarming a law abiding citizen for entrance to a building?

Besides, it's my safety on the line as a member of the public. I'd far rather face whatever imagined risks there might be from a lawfully armed crowd of my fellow citizens than from a disarmed mob.

And pocket knives? I don't go where I think I might need a gun, but a Leatherman anywhere is a potential necessity.