Help get HB700 out of Committee

zekester said:

Keep the phone calls, emails and faxes going!!!....It is working...but we can't stop now!!!

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got called by one of my friends ..said that he is having a hard time getting through ...phone is always busy , but he will keep trying

I checked the Homeland Security calendar for this Thursday, neither HB700 or HB1194 are on the agenda. I talked to Lavender via Facebook, he said it is normal for a bill to sit in committee for a while and be heard again before it moves.

Last chance to do this!!!!

Just got off the phone with Rep Lavenders office....

Paddie has withdrawn his bill....

HB700, if it is not on the agenda for next thursday.....it will most likely die!!!

Pressure.....pressure and more pressure!!!!

Z

TSRA/NRA supported bills pending in the Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee

The TSRA/NRA supported bills pending in the Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee are Campus Carry HB 972 by Committee Vice-Chairman Allen Fletcher, HB 1077 and HB 1078 (parts of the campus carry issue) by Representative Tim Kleinschmidt, a committee member, HB 700 (licensed open carry) by Representative George Lavender, a committee member, and HB 47 (reducing the number of classroom hours for the CHL course) by Representative Dan Flynn, also a committee member.

To contact the committee members just follow this link and click on the photograph/name of each of the committee members. http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/committee/?committee=420&session=83

Chairman Pickett sets the agenda, so it is important to contact him requesting that these bills be brought up for a vote quickly. http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/member-page/?district=79

As Representative Lavender's staff reminds everyone, please keep it polite and to the point.

A bill that was filed the day before the last day to file bills is HB HB 3218 http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/83R/billtext/html/HB03218I.htm looks pretty interesting. It appears to allow CHL holders to carry most any place a Peace Officer can carry. Charles Cotton who runs the texas CHL website appears to be involved in its drafting and submission. You can take a look at some remarks about it on his website. http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=125&t=64170 As it was filed on the next to last day bills could be filed there has not been any action on it as yet. I have no idea how much support it may have, but it is interesting.

I do not know whether HB 3218 has TSRA/NRA support as it was filed at the last minute and our organizations are rather busy with the bills I mentioned first. It's important to get them voted out of committee ASAP so they have a chance of getting to the senate with enough time to be passed.

Anyone in El Paso is especially encouraged to contact Chairman Pickett and let him know their support for the bills pending in his committee.

Please spread the word!

Thanks

OK.....One more time

Looks as if Pickett is getting the message,,,,,but not enough.....I was told today that Lavender is pushing his hardest to get this up for a vote....He is personally going to talk to picket after the session today to push HB700...he was told it would come up for a vote this week but Pickett did not put it on the agenda....Lavender also told me that they have enough votes in the house to pass.....but, if you really want OC in Texas......get after Pickett now!!!!

512-463-0133....Mary Ann.....

I'm not familiar enough with the legislative process to really understand all of these steps that have to be taken. When I call, is there anything specific I need to say? Or would it be sufficient to say that I'm calling to express my support of the open carry bill introducted by George Lavender, and to encourage Mr. Pickett to bring it to vote, and that I'd greatly appreciate the message being passed along?

stealthyeliminator said:

I'm not familiar enough with the legislative process to really understand all of these steps that have to be taken. When I call, is there anything specific I need to say? Or would it be sufficient to say that I'm calling to express my support of the open carry bill introducted by George Lavender, and to encourage Mr. Pickett to bring it to vote, and that I'd greatly appreciate the message being passed along?

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That would be perfect. That's all you need to say.

can rick perry call a special meeting if necessary if so I think we should start ringing perry phone off the hook let perry know that we want open carry voted on this should be done now

Governor Perry is more likely to apply his good offices to push CHL carry on campus than an "open carry" bill.

The NEXT Governor of Texas on the other hand - AG Greg Abbott - is the person I would suggest reaching out to for an Attorney General law enforcement advisory opinion to the effect that -

The Texas Legislature has for 136 years exercised its limited power to regulate the wearing of arms with a view to preventing crime primarily by acting to restrict the public carry of concealable firearms such as handguns , and has not determined to apply similar restrictions to the public carry of legal rifles, and shotguns due to the lack of concealability of those firearms.

In view of the presumptive constitutionality of enacted legislation, I am compelled to conclude that the concealment provision enforced by Section 46.035(a) of the Texas Penal Code wherein intentional display of a handgun by a licensee is defined as a criminal offense is the same criminal offense defined in Section 42.01 (a)(8) involving the public display of a deadly weapon in a manner calculated to cause alarm.

The core of reasoning relied upon in rendering this opinion is that any broader interpretation of 46.035(a) would subect a licensee (CHL) to the absurdity of a charge of offense under 46.035(a) while he/she is simultaneously intentionally failing to conceal their carrying of a rifle, or shotgun.

Accordingly it is my opinion that, in the absence of evidence supporting intention by a licensee to cause public alarm , Texas law enforcement should not treat the mere display of a holstered handgun in and of itself by a licensee as an offense under 46.035(a).

Picket shut down his facebook page

There we dozens of people hammering him over HB700. People started suggesting we might have to get money and support for a democrook primary challenger from around the state, or a republicrat to challenge him. He's been unopposed the last 2 cycles. If he lets this bill die, we might need to put him on unemployment. Texans for open Carry

JOE PICKETT IS STALLING ALL GUN BILLS IN TEXAS AND THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY POSTS ON HIS FACEBOOK ACCOUT HE HAS SHUT DOWN ACCESS. HE CAN"T SHUT DOWN HIS PHONE!!!! PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT AND CALL THE NUMBER BELOW AND ASK HIM TO MOVE HB 700 OUR OF COMMITTEE!!!!
Rep. Pickett, Joe C.
Capitol Address:
Room 1W.05, Capitol
P.O. Box 2910
... Austin, TX 78768
(512) 463-0596
(512) 463-6504 Fax Lets keep up the pressure.

I thought cc had past to carry on campus anyway it can't hurt to try and call perry
right now we should try anything

Just received this from Alice Tripp, TSRA:

I testified in committee in support of HB 700, open carry. You bet we support it... but the committee chairman controls what bills come out of committee and that hasn't happened. NRA and TSRA have both named them in alerts. It's not dead yet but not likely as it has no Senate companion.

The only person in control is Chairman Joe Pickett. The Republican committee members include Rep. George Lavender, the bill author! It's pretty unheard of NOT to vote on a priority bill for one of your committee members. Joe Pickett is a Democrat from El Paso and not likely to get an opponent.

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As stated above, all of us who want HB 700 to must contact Rep. Pickett, but he especially needs to hear from those of you who are in the El Paso area and the other locales within his district.

Texas House Member


Rep. Pickett, Joe C.
District 79
Email
Capitol Address:
Room 1W.05, Capitol
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
(512) 463-0596
(512) 463-6504 Fax
District Address:
1790 Lee Trevino #307
El Paso, TX 79936
(915) 590-4349
(915) 590-4726 Fax