2013 Legislation - Discussion

[GRAYWOLF]

One group's opinioin:
https://www.texasfirearmscoalition....08&subid=873-716a6c6ea465fbd61128edcbe7035b8c

House Bills

HB801 - Oppose.
Creates a strict liability crime if a round fired from a firearm crosses school property, even if the person shooting had no idea a school was present, or if the round ricocheted multiple times.


Senate Bills
SB299 - Support.
Preempts cities from regulating knives, stun guns, and personal defense sprays, except in secured areas protected by metal detectors. Criminal Justice Committee
SB481 - Oppose.
Requires Texans to get a Texas CHL to carry a self-defense handgun. A bill in search of a problem to fix. Criminal Justice Committee.
SB987 - Support.
Requires the Texas Attorney General to seek a permanent or temporary injunction against any county seeking to regulate sport shooting ranges in violation of the Texas range protection laws. Agricultural, Rural Affairs & Homeland Security Committee.
SB1348 - Oppose.
Duplicates federal law and creates new offense related to transfer of firearms. Also contains vague and ambiguous new offense that could be violated unintentionally. Criminal Justice Committee.

 

[GRAYWOLF]

Argument against SB481:
https://www.texasfirearmscoalition....43&subid=873-716a6c6ea465fbd61128edcbe7035b8c

Position on Bill: Oppose

SB 481 is both unnecessary and it will work to the extreme prejudice of hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Texans who for various reasons live outside the boundaries of our State. SB481 adopts the definition of a “domicile” found in Tex. Trans. Code §522.003(1) which reads

“(10) ‘Domicile’ means the place where a person has the person's true, fixed, and permanent home and principal residence and to which the person intends to return whenever absent.”

As a result of this definition, tens of thousands of Texans serving in the military, Texans attending college in other states, as well as construction workers and other workers temporarily out of Texas will be negatively impacted by this bill. Since these people will have the “intent” to return to their homes in Texas when their tour of duty, college studies, or job assignment is completed, they are legally domiciled in Texas.

If these Texans are living in states that require them to have a handgun carry license issued by that state, SB 481 would make it illegal for these law-abiding Texans to come home for a visit and continue to carry their self-defense handgun unless they also obtain a Texas Concealed Handgun License. Some people, such as military personnel stationed outside of Texas, may not be able to get or renew a Texas Concealed Handgun License because they are unable to come to Texas to take an initial or renewal license class.

Equally important is the fact that SB 481 is a solution desperately seeking a problem that does not exist. Texas recognizes concealed handgun licenses issued by virtually every other state in the country. This means many hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Americans are visiting our state carrying self-defense handguns under the authority of licenses issued by their home states. There is no evidence that this has caused any problems whatsoever or that these people are committing crimes in our state.

Rather than passing a bill that will negatively impact hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Texans, the focus should be placed on removing or minimizing current provisions in Texas law that make another state’s concealed carry license more attractive than a Texas Concealed Handgun License. At least two such bills or currently pending in the Texas legislature; one that would reduce the unnecessarily long 10 hour class required for an initial license, and one that will reduce the initial a license fee from $140 to $95.00.

SB 481 offers no benefits to Texans, but negatively impacts many thousands of our law-abiding citizens.

 

[TheDan]

HB801 - Oppose.
Creates a strict liability crime if a round fired from a firearm crosses school property, even if the person shooting had no idea a school was present, or if the round ricocheted multiple times.

They should call this one the "Magnum .88" law