KHOU - New bill against carrying firearms while intoxicated

[Steve5115]

HOUSTON- A local family says a mixture of alcohol and guns led to a shooting that forever changed one woman's life. That's why they're supporting a proposed bill that will likely stir up the gun rights debate.

The bill would make it illegal to be intoxicated while carrying a firearm in Texas.

http://www.khou.com/news/politics/new-b ... /401583872

[dhoobler]

I am suspicious of bills like this. I think that they are meant to frame the debate in a manner to discredit the NRA and Second Amendment supporters. Here is an example of what I am talking about:

The NRA Fights to Keep Guns in the Hands of Wife Beaters
http://www.rawstory.com/2013/03/the-nra ... e-beaters/

I can see the headlines now:
The NRA Fights to Keep Guns in the Hands of Drunks.

[ScottDLS]

How about a law making it illegal to "be" intoxicated in Texas....

[Jusme]

I will have to see the draft of this proposed bill, but, while I don't condone mixing alcohol and gun powder, this forms a preemptive assumption of criminal activity. Being intoxicated, does not mean that a person will use a gun illegally, or even irresponsibly. Secondly, where does this "carrying while under the influence" have to occur? If I have a few beers at my house, and put my gun beside my bed before turning in, would I be guilty of a crime?

What will they plan to do the next time a person under the influence stabs someone? Will they then want to include knives in the law? Baseball bats?

An LTC holder can already be charged for carrying while intoxicated, with no statutorial blood alcohol level. This sounds like just a catch-all for everyone else. If a person uses a gun illegally, what will this law accomplish? Aggravated assault, and murder are already illegal, so how will this change that?

Lastly, would this law have prevented, the tragedy, that they are using to justify this bill?

[jb2012]

Just another post tradgedy uninformed emotion based bill. It's already illegal to fire a weapon under the influence (coming from the whole drinking and hunting argument). They have to make themselves believe they are making a difference.

[flechero]

The headline should read: New bill wastes legislative time and taxpayer dollars on something that is already illegal!.. just like so many other feel good bills from the left.

[Soccerdad1995]

I believe that it is already illegal to carry while intoxicated. So either this bill is just a feel good measure that does nothing, or they are defining "carrying" in a different manner.

If this extends to ones home, and "carrying" includes having access to a gun that is in a safe, then this would have the practical effect of making one choose between alcohol and gun ownership. Kind of like extending "drunk driving" to include being at home with keys to your car that is sitting in the garage. I hope it doesn't go down that path.

My personal rule is that the gun goes in the safe before I get a third drink in my hand for the night.

[bblhd672]

Feel good legislation.

The US should just ban alcohol...

[Middle Age Russ]

The headline should read: New bill wastes legislative time and taxpayer dollars on something that is already illegal!.. just like so many other feel good bills from the left.

How many legislative committees spend time looking into whether a proposed law is completely, or even mostly, redundant and therefore a waste of time and energy? One reform at the State and/or Federal level would be to ensure that a bill's author provides documentation of all current laws relating to the topic at hand to the committee initially looking at a bill, and includes reasoning why the new law is needed beyond the existing ones.

[TreyHouston]

Feel good legislation.

The US should just ban alcohol...

Knowing the left.. they might think this NEW idea is a good one!

[Jusme]

The headline should read: New bill wastes legislative time and taxpayer dollars on something that is already illegal!.. just like so many other feel good bills from the left.

How many legislative committees spend time looking into whether a proposed law is completely, or even mostly, redundant and therefore a waste of time and energy? One reform at the State and/or Federal level would be to ensure that a bill's author provides documentation of all current laws relating to the topic at hand to the committee initially looking at a bill, and includes reasoning why the new law is needed beyond the existing ones.

So much time is wasted already on redundant bills, that will have zero impact, or enhancement of existing laws.

[JustSomeOldGuy]

It's already against the law to shoot your girlfriend. And what will this law do for the population if passed? The same thing the drunk driving law does. Gives you one more charge to add if someone gets injured or dead. Does absolutely nothing to prevent the injury or death.

[LucasMcCain]

I am suspicious of bills like this. I think that they are meant to frame the debate in a manner to discredit the NRA and Second Amendment supporters. Here is an example of what I am talking about:

The NRA Fights to Keep Guns in the Hands of Wife Beaters
http://www.rawstory.com/2013/03/the-nra ... e-beaters/

I can see the headlines now:
The NRA Fights to Keep Guns in the Hands of Drunks.

The most recent example I've seen of this was headlines saying President Trump wanted to let mentally ill people have guns.

For example: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-votes ... tally-ill/

I actually had a friend at work ask me what that was really about, because she knows I'm big on gun rights and would know. She just couldn't believe the MSM line that said "GOP votes to arm mentally ill people." You know it's bad (good?) when even the liberals are starting to question the hogwash coming out of the media these days.

[Charles L. Cotton]

I too saw this news spot. It was very short on details, as in no details of the shooting. The bill is going to be filed by a Democrat and that speaks volumes. I suspect it will be both unnecessary and grossly overbroad.

Chas.

[Syntyr]

Feel good legislation.

The US should just ban alcohol...

Knowing the left.. they might think this NEW idea is a good one!

No you are looking at this wrong. Alcohol is TOTALLY safe and never has hurt a soul or caused any accidents or mayhem. Now guns on the other hand are evil incarnate. Ergo the solution is to BAN GUNS!