Urgent Action Items: Parking lots & campus-carry

[AggieMM]

What is the issue in the Senate on SB730 - Only two so far. Is "big business" getting this one blocked like two years ago?

Ryan

[ScubaSigGuy]

I just hung up with Sen. Shapiro's office in Austin (her local Allen office directed me there) and I was told that they "cannot speak to toward the senator's position on either bill". I was then told that they are taking comments from constituents and compiling a database on both bills for the senator's use considering her position.

I left my contact info and he noted my support and comments.

If you are in Shapiro's district please call her office in Austin at 512-463-0108 and express your support.

She is a former public school teacher so she may be sensitive to 1164. It might be a good idea to script your comments before calling if you are not used to being quoted.

[Charles L. Cotton]

I just hung up with Sen. Shapiro's office in Austin (her local Allen office directed me there) and I was told that they "cannot speak to toward the senator's position on either bill". I was then told that they are taking comments from constituents and compiling a database on both bills for the senator's use considering her position.

I left my contact info and he noted my support and comments.

If you are in Shapiro's district please call her office in Austin at 512-463-0108 and express your support.

She is a former public school teacher so she may be sensitive to 1164. It might be a good idea to script your comments before calling if you are not used to being quoted.

A lot of people are doing just this. This is why it is so important to keep calling on a weekly basis, until your Senator and Representative sign-on. I probably shouldn't say this, but we do have commitments from some people to vote for the bills, but they won't sign-on. Regardless, we need to keep calling because it gives them cover when the opposition really puts on the pressure. This is especially true with the parking lot bills, since the business and chemical industry lobby is throwing so much money around. The only way we win this battle is to put more votes on the line than they can put money.

Chas.

[flintknapper]

I contacted my Rep. (Wayne Christian) and got two replies...affirming his dedication to support all pro gun/CHL positions.

[KD5NRH]

Well, now both my senator and rep are signed on as coauthors for campus carry. No response from either on parking lots, though.

Anything out there for pro sporting events yet? I notice campus carry would remove collegiate ones.

[lrb111]

For the parking lot bill, I know many of our reps are trying to balance the employee's 2A rights against the employer's property rights. I think it's important to remind them that in Texas, we regard a person's vehicle as his private property and an extension of his home. With that mindset, this bill has nothing to do with employer's property rights since the gun never leaves the car (the employee's private property). Moreover, this bill affirms the property rights of the employee, and protects his vehicle (home) from intrusion by his employer.

That is such a good point. thank you..

[Coogan]

I´ve noticed that my representative, Myra Crownover, has not yet signed onto the campus carry bill. She has an ¨A¨ rating from TSRA. With two large universities in her voting district, I´m thinking that she may be hesitant to sign-on.

At any rate, I´ll call her office again on Monday morning......

[Douva]

For the parking lot bill, I know many of our reps are trying to balance the employee's 2A rights against the employer's property rights. I think it's important to remind them that in Texas, we regard a person's vehicle as his private property and an extension of his home. With that mindset, this bill has nothing to do with employer's property rights since the gun never leaves the car (the employee's private property). Moreover, this bill affirms the property rights of the employee, and protects his vehicle (home) from intrusion by his employer.

Here is the argument I typically use:

Our cars are extensions of our homes. We eat in them, change clothes in them, and sometimes even sleep in them. They are, in essence, our own private embassies--our territory on foreign soil.

[Liberty]

Representative Craig Eiland signed on which is significant. His District includes Galveston and Texas City. Galveston which is his Democratic Base and Texas City is where a huge hunk of the the Petro Chemical Industry lie. Particularly BP who has been actively fought the parking lot Bill. The folks in Chambers county are smiling.

[CWOOD]

I recently sent this to my Austin Representative Eddie Rodriguez:

Dear Representative Rodriguez,
>
> I am writing to urge you to support and, in fact, assist by co-authoring HB 1301 and HB 1898.
>
> HB 1301, as I am sure you are aware relates to allowing Concealed Handgun License (CHL)holders to secure their handguns
> locked in their private vehicles while on public access employer parking lots. This is a very important measure to CHL holders because many travel considerable distances to and from work. Others travel through unsafe areas or at odd times of day in circumstances where help in an emergency might be several minutes away. Personally, I leave for work in South Austin at 4:30 AM. There is very little traffic and effectively NO police presence at that time of day.

I don't want to carry IN my employers work place. I just want to be able to secure it in my vehicle while I am at work. To comply with my employers wishes now I must disarm for the entire day unless I make a special trip home after work.

To protect my employer HB 1301 also offers near full immunity for liability regarding my handgun.
>
> Regarding HB 1898, I also strongly urge you to support this bill. While I am not now a college student, I have one daugher who is attending Tarleton State in Stephenville. She will be getting her CHL this year at the age of 24. One hears so much about assults and muggings and rape on campus that I wish for her to have legal and effective means of self defense.
>
> The fairly recent news about school shootings is certainly disturbing. However it seems that the problem was not so much the presence of firearms themselves, but that there were only firearms in the hands of people intent on doing evil... UNAPPOSED. These bad people select these locations specifically because they KNOW that they will be the only ones armed. Very near the saddness that was the Virginia Tech massacres, there was an incident at the Appalachia School of Law in Grundy, Virgina. In that incident a diagruntled student murdered two faculty members and another student and wounded three others. He was later subdued by two students who went to their vehicles to retrieve stored handguns and by one unarmed student. The potential for more mayhem would have been much greater without law abiding people able, and willing, to defend themselves and others.

> I apologize for the length of this and thank you for your consideration.

> Regards
cwood
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

His reply from a staffer:
>
> Dear Mr. cwood,
>
> Thank you for bringing your concerns regarding concealed hand gun licenses and hand guns on campuses to Representative Rodriguez's
> attention. Representative Rodriguez is in favor and supports open hand gun laws. As for HB 1301 Representative always supports
> local control and feels it should be up to the owner of the business to address that issue. He does not believe in the state mandating rules for business owners.

With HB1893 he does not support guns on school campuses.>
> Sincerely,
> Gustavo Garza, Legislative Aide
> Office of State Representative Eddie Rodriguez
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My reply:

Dear Mr. Garza,

Thank you for your response to my email to Representative Rodriguez.

If I may, I would like some clarification on a couple of points in your reply. My questions are asked with all due respect.

In your response you state that Rep. Rodriguez is in favor of and supports "open hand gun laws." As a point of information for me, could you please comment on what the phrase "open hand gun laws" means to Rep. Rodriguez? Is he in favor of the open carrying of handguns or am I misreading your comment?

Specifically in regards to HB 1301, the State of Texas has, in recent years moved to regard ones automobile or RV as an extension of ones residence, or private property, as the law relates to firearms. In the case of this bill, the protection afforded to the individual employee only extends to the locked and secured vehicle, his private property. Should the employee try to possess the handgun beyond that point, there would be no protection offered. Outside of the vehicle, the employee would ONLY THEN be infringing on the employer's private property.

As for the state mandating rules for businesses, the state and local governments have been mandating a plethora of rules and regulations to businesses since the beginning of the state. Certainly a clarification of when one person's private property ends and and another's begins would not be too burdensome.

In regards to HB 1893, while we disagree, please express my respect to Rep. Rodriguez for his unequivocal response the that issue.

Again, thank you for taking the time to answer my first email. I look forward to your consideration and reply concerning my comments regarding HB 1301.

Regards,
cwood
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

No response yet to my correspondence with my State Senator Kirk Watson.

[Douva]

I recently sent this to my Austin Representative Eddie Rodriguez:

Dear Representative Rodriguez,
>
> I am writing to urge you to support and, in fact, assist by co-authoring HB 1301 and HB 1898.
>
> HB 1301, as I am sure you are aware relates to allowing Concealed Handgun License (CHL)holders to secure their handguns
> locked in their private vehicles while on public access employer parking lots. This is a very important measure to CHL holders because many travel considerable distances to and from work. Others travel through unsafe areas or at odd times of day in circumstances where help in an emergency might be several minutes away. Personally, I leave for work in South Austin at 4:30 AM. There is very little traffic and effectively NO police presence at that time of day.

I don't want to carry IN my employers work place. I just want to be able to secure it in my vehicle while I am at work. To comply with my employers wishes now I must disarm for the entire day unless I make a special trip home after work.

To protect my employer HB 1301 also offers near full immunity for liability regarding my handgun.
>
> Regarding HB 1898, I also strongly urge you to support this bill. While I am not now a college student, I have one daugher who is attending Tarleton State in Stephenville. She will be getting her CHL this year at the age of 24. One hears so much about assults and muggings and rape on campus that I wish for her to have legal and effective means of self defense.
>
> The fairly recent news about school shootings is certainly disturbing. However it seems that the problem was not so much the presence of firearms themselves, but that there were only firearms in the hands of people intent on doing evil... UNAPPOSED. These bad people select these locations specifically because they KNOW that they will be the only ones armed. Very near the saddness that was the Virginia Tech massacres, there was an incident at the Appalachia School of Law in Grundy, Virgina. In that incident a diagruntled student murdered two faculty members and another student and wounded three others. He was later subdued by two students who went to their vehicles to retrieve stored handguns and by one unarmed student. The potential for more mayhem would have been much greater without law abiding people able, and willing, to defend themselves and others.

> I apologize for the length of this and thank you for your consideration.

> Regards
cwood
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

His reply from a staffer:
>
> Dear Mr. cwood,
>
> Thank you for bringing your concerns regarding concealed hand gun licenses and hand guns on campuses to Representative Rodriguez's
> attention. Representative Rodriguez is in favor and supports open hand gun laws. As for HB 1301 Representative always supports
> local control and feels it should be up to the owner of the business to address that issue. He does not believe in the state mandating rules for business owners.

With HB1893 he does not support guns on school campuses.>
> Sincerely,
> Gustavo Garza, Legislative Aide
> Office of State Representative Eddie Rodriguez
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

My reply:

Dear Mr. Garza,

Thank you for your response to my email to Representative Rodriguez.

If I may, I would like some clarification on a couple of points in your reply. My questions are asked with all due respect.

In your response you state that Rep. Rodriguez is in favor of and supports "open hand gun laws." As a point of information for me, could you please comment on what the phrase "open hand gun laws" means to Rep. Rodriguez? Is he in favor of the open carrying of handguns or am I misreading your comment?

Specifically in regards to HB 1301, the State of Texas has, in recent years moved to regard ones automobile or RV as an extension of ones residence, or private property, as the law relates to firearms. In the case of this bill, the protection afforded to the individual employee only extends to the locked and secured vehicle, his private property. Should the employee try to possess the handgun beyond that point, there would be no protection offered. Outside of the vehicle, the employee would ONLY THEN be infringing on the employer's private property.

As for the state mandating rules for businesses, the state and local governments have been mandating a plethora of rules and regulations to businesses since the beginning of the state. Certainly a clarification of when one person's private property ends and and another's begins would not be too burdensome.

In regards to HB 1893, while we disagree, please express my respect to Rep. Rodriguez for his unequivocal response the that issue.

Again, thank you for taking the time to answer my first email. I look forward to your consideration and reply concerning my comments regarding HB 1301.

Regards,
cwood
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

No response yet to my correspondence with my State Senator Kirk Watson.

Eddie Rodriguez has a "D" rating from the TSRA. He was recently sent a copy of the "SCCC Handbook: Texas Edition," but I'm not optimistic about our chances of converting him. He's one of the nine members of the Public Safety committee, so his opinion is definitely important, but the bill can get out of committee without his vote.

According to Senator Watson's senior policy advisor Edna Butts, Joe Hamil is handling Criminal Justice issues for their office. If I were to take a stab at his email address, I'd guess Joe.Hamil@senate.state.tx.us.

FYI, the University of North Texas student newspaper has a poll about concealed carry on campus on the front page of their website (halfway down, on the right side): http://www.ntdaily.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[CWOOD]

I really didn't expect him to be on our side but you gotta give it a shot.

I am really curious about his support of "open hand gun laws."

[artx]

No response after multiple faxes/emails to Rep Castro. Sen Van De Putte sent me a letter back saying she supports concealed carry but not open carry. I need to follow up on that, since I didn't email about open carry, I emailed about these bills!

I've also been keeping AR15.com in the loop. Several members there are interested in helping with these bills. My thread is tacked in the Texas Hometown forum, which has a ton of readership.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b ... 728&page=1

[nitrogen]

Sen Van De Putte sent me a letter back saying she supports concealed carry but not open carry.

I'd be interested in knowing if any legislators stances changed after the disastrous attempts to push open carry by the ocdo folks affected this at all.

[XDJoe]

I have emailed and written letters sent to both Senator Seliger and Representative Smithee concerning these bills. No reply from either (although I'm not really expecting one). Senator Seliger has signed on to the campus bill but not the parking lot and Rep. Smithee has not signed on to either. If there is anyone else on these boards from the panhandle let these guys know you support these measures. A large majority in this area of Texas is very pro gun, so let Seliger and Smithee know your position.