URGENT ACTION NEEDED: HB1301 & HB410

[Charles L. Cotton]

HB1301 - Employer parking lots.

The House version of the employer parking lot bill (HB1301) is up for a public hearing today (3/23/09) in the House Public Safety Committee. This committee has nine members and Representatives Caraway (C), Rodriquez (D) and Burnam (F) are guaranteed "no" votes. Vice-Chairman Frost (A+) is a co-author on HB1301 as is Rep. Joe Driver (A+), so they obviously will support the bill. Rep. Phil King (A+) should be a "yes" vote and I suspect Chairman Merritt (A) will support us.

This means Representatives Hubert Vo (A-) and freshman Tryon Lewis (C+) could well be swing votes. Please contact these members of the committee and very politely ask them to support HB1301. You might remind them that HB1301 has 37 joint authors and co-authors. Get their fax numbers and follow up your call with a fax. (I don't have fax numbers.) Here are the "talking points" on HB1301"

• SB 730/HB1301 do not prevent an employer from keeping guns out of the workplace; it only applies to locked cars in the parking lot;
  
  SB 730/HB1301 provide employers immunity from civil liability for any injury or damage that may result from storage of firearms in locked vehicles, unless the employer is grossly negligent.
  
  SB 730/HB1301 allow employers to prohibit firearms in a parking area, if the parking lot is not accessible to the general public and the employer provides alternative parking for employees. Or the employer can opt to provide a place to lock up an unloaded firearm. This provision is especially useful to the petrochemical industry and any other business needing to protect sensitive areas.
  
  SB 730/HB1301 would not apply to company-owned vehicles, nor would it allow storage of firearms in vehicles parked on property where the possession of firearms is prohibited under state or federal law.

HB410 - Repeal of duty to show CHL.

A public hearing on this bill was held on March 9th, but Chairman Merritt (A) has not brought this bill up for a vote. Other bills have been brought up for a vote. Please contact his office and politely ask him to bring this bill up for a vote. It has 30 joint and co-authors and 300,000+ CHLs deserve to have a vote on this bill.

Please respond to this call to action folks; don't just assume others will do so. Our strength is in numbers and we need a response. DO NOT REFERENCE TSRA OR NRA!

Thanks,
Chas.

[seamusTX]

The Honorable Hubert Vo
Phone: (512) 463-0568
Fax: (512) 463-0548

The Honorable Tryon Lewis <-- Tryon, not Tyrone, and he's Mr.
Phone: (512) 463-0546
Fax: (512) 463-8067

Here's my text. Feel free to plagiarize:

Dear Mr. ___:

I urge you to vote in favor of HB1301 – Employee firearms in parking lots – and HB410 - Repeal of duty to show CHL.

Currently, employers can fire employees who have a legally owned firearm in their vehicle on company property. HB1301 would make it illegal to fire an employee who has a concealed handgun license (CHL) for simply having a concealed weapon in his or her vehicle.

• Employees should not have to give up their right to self-defense while commuting to work.
• CHL holders have an excellent record of complying with the law and avoiding violent conflicts.
• Many people have resolved violent incidents – including in schools – by virtue of having weapons in their vehicle.
• Any display or use of a handgun other than for self-defense is a violation of the law. In that case, the employer is free to fire the employee.
• This bill removes employers’ liability in case of criminal or negligent use of a weapon that an employee brought to work.

State law currently requires a CHL holder to present his CHL when asked for ID by a police officer. This requirement comes into play mainly during traffic stops.

This requirement is unnecessary, as the status of a CHL is provided when the officer checks the driver’s license information online. It has never served a useful purpose, and it has led to confusion on the part of police officers.

Furthermore, state law now allows any unlicensed person to carry a concealed handgun in a motor vehicle. Those persons who do not have a CHL are not required to inform the officer that they are armed.

Very truly yours,

- Jim

[artx]

Called all 3 offices today.

Rep Vo and Rep Merrit's offices said they'd pass on my request.

Rep Lewis' office said they had been receiving a lot of calls in support of HB 1301.

[Vic303]

Chm. Merritt's office said they'd pass on my request to bring a vote on HB410.
Emailed the other two.
What happened yesterday on the other two bills? Any updates?