With such short notice, getting down to the Capitol to testify on these three bills will be difficult, if not impossible, for most of us. Picking up the phone and calling your state Senator isn't ideal but better than nothing.
From a Facebook post by Rachel Malone:
The bills are:
SB 243 Creighton | et al.
Relating to the carrying or storage of a handgun by a school marshal.
SB 244 Creighton | et al.
Relating to the number of school marshals that may be appointed to serve on a public school campus or at a private school.
SB 406 Birdwell
Relating to the carrying or storage of a handgun by a school marshal.
From a Facebook post by Rachel Malone:
The Senate just sent a hearing notice for *tomorrow* with 3 school marshal bills up for a hearing. Sometimes that's how the lege works....nothing like 24 hours notice.
My position on the school marshal bills:
1. The school marshal program was a flawed program from the start. It creates a class of law enforcement officers called school marshals, lets a school pick 1 employee per 200 students to go through school marshal training, then that person often has to keep their gun locked up (can't carry on person if they have direct contact with the students).
2. These bills address some of the issues (allowing them to carry on-person, allowing schools to have more marshals).
3. It would be MUCH better for the safety of our kids, teachers, and schools to get rid of the carry ban so LTC holders who choose to carry can do so -- like campus carry.
4. In addition, also having trained armed security including school marshals is a positive idea, with these changes to the program.
Hearing notice:
https://capitol.texas.gov/…/sche…/html/C5302019030509001.HTM
Bills up:
SB 243 - lets schools allow their marshals to carry on person
SB 244 - lets schools decide how many marshals to have
SB 406 - similar to 243; schools can decide whether to allow marshals to conceal carry on person or lock the gun in a safe
===============
Details:
COMMITTEE: Education
TIME & DATE: 9:00 AM, Tuesday, March 5, 2019
PLACE: E1.028 (Hearing Room)
CHAIR: Senator Larry Taylor
To consider the following:
SB 243 Creighton | et al.
Relating to the carrying or storage of a handgun by a school marshal.
SB 244 Creighton | et al.
Relating to the number of school marshals that may be appointed to serve on a public school campus or at a private school.
SB 406 Birdwell
Relating to the carrying or storage of a handgun by a school marshal.
Those wishing to give public testimony, please limit prepared remarks to 3 minutes. If submitting written testimony, please submit 30 copies, with your name on each copy, to the Committee during the hearing.
The bills are:
SB 243 Creighton | et al.
Relating to the carrying or storage of a handgun by a school marshal.
SB 244 Creighton | et al.
Relating to the number of school marshals that may be appointed to serve on a public school campus or at a private school.
SB 406 Birdwell
Relating to the carrying or storage of a handgun by a school marshal.