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frazzled wrote:Purplehood is right. if you see my previous posts I think we're on the same page in rural areas. In metro areas I see a flood of restrictive signs and/or cops being called. What is appropriate in farm country is not appropriate in the Houston Central Business District (and vice versa).

Yet the law treats them the same, and those of us in rural areas are restricted based on what might give offense in Houston or DFW.

Edit to add: The three largest metropolitan areas (MSAs, not just the core cities) barely add up to half the population of Texas.

This past summer, it became legal in Arizona to CC where alcohol is served. Reports are that "no guns" signs are going up all over the state at restaurants that serve alcohol. Should the gun rights groups in Arizona have fought against this law, since it means signs are going up? Of course not.

Just like with other states, those Arizona signs will fade away through education and experience. And Texas (despite how many Texans feel about it) is not some unique place where what works elsewhere can't possibly work here.

I hope no one takes this personally, because I intend it as constructive criticism, but the attitude of "We've got it how I like it, so don't mess with things!" sounds selfish. It reminds me of the Fudds who are willing to give up everyone else's gun rights just so long as their hunting guns are safe.

I think the worry about OC causing new signs to go up is overblown, for the simple reason that there's been a big public shift in opinion about guns since 1996. Most people at least know someone who carries regularly, even if only unlicensed car carry.

If OC were legalized, 30.06 as currently written wouldn't apply, because it specifies "concealed handgun". Gunbusters signs might apply to a non-CHL, if they were deemed to be "sufficient notice". Non-CHLs would run the same risk of missing a small "no guns" sign and being charged with criminal trespass while armed, which is a Class A misdemeanor, that CHLs faced the first two years of the program.

30.06 could be modified to include OC (which wouldn't be good for CHLs carrying concealed), or it could be left alone and a new trespass notice created for OC.

My preference (aside from completely deleting PC Chapter 46): Change 46.02 to specify that it's an offense to carry a concealed handgun without a license; and, modify 30.05 so that trespass while armed is not an enhanced penalty. (Since there's nothing lower than Class C misdemeanor, perhaps specify a maximum penalty of a $25 fine.)