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http://blogs.chron.com/texaspolitics/archives/2009/03/post_36.html
Texans will have to wait to openly tote a pistol
[font="verdana, arial, helvetica, san-serif"]OpenCarry.Org [/font]
The hopes of nearly 60,000 people who signed an online petition at
OpenCarry.org have been all but dashed, as no member of the Legislature has filed a bill that would allow Texans with a concealed carry license to openly tote their pistols.
Today is the filing deadline for bills, though technically lawmakers can still introduce legislation with the support of their colleagues. And after months lobbying the Legislature, members of the grassroots gun group have conceded that they could not persuade any Texas lawmaker to file open carry legislation this session, said Ian McCarthy, a student who chairs the Texas Open Carry Work Group.
"I've been calling, meeting, doing everything but nobody wants to introduce it," he said.
It's not as if there wasn't ample interest among lawmakers, McCarthy said, but "most of them are just loaded down with so many bills they've already introduced."
State Rep. Debbie Riddle, whom the open carry folks tagged months ago as the bills presumptive sponsor, had the legislation drafted but never introduced it. Her chief of staff explained to open carry members in an email that such legislation was unlikely to pass and that talks of an open carry proposal have already caused difficulties for other Second Amendments bills.
If it's any consolation, Riddle, R-Houston, did file legislation earlier this week that would allow a disabled person with a concealed carry license to openly carry a firearm if their disability prevents them from otherwise concealing it.
"That's not exactly what we were going for," McCarthy said.
Another important factor to consider in the open carry equation:
In the roughly six months since the group started fundraising through online donations to pay for radio spots, billboards and advertising on taxi's across Texas, they apparently did little to gain favor with the gun lobby.
The Texas State Rifle Association, a state affiliate of the National Rifle Association, never publicly supported the proposal, saying instead they were focusing this session on their current agenda, which did not include open carry. Ultimately, the lack of support from the influential gun lobby could have doomed the group's efforts to get a bill introduced, open carry members opined on their forums.
For now, McCarthy said the group would start focusing on a push for next session, when they anticipate asking for a bill that will allow all Texans, with or without a concealed carry license, to be allowed to openly tote their pistols.
"It's more a rights thing," he said. "People who have a concealed carry licensed, they didn't see a benefit in it."
Posted by David Rauf at March 13, 2009 04:42 PM
http://blogs.chron.com/texaspolitics/archives/2009/03/post_36.html
Texans will have to wait to openly tote a pistol
The hopes of nearly 60,000 people who signed an online petition at
OpenCarry.org have been all but dashed, as no member of the Legislature has filed a bill that would allow Texans with a concealed carry license to openly tote their pistols.
Today is the filing deadline for bills, though technically lawmakers can still introduce legislation with the support of their colleagues. And after months lobbying the Legislature, members of the grassroots gun group have conceded that they could not persuade any Texas lawmaker to file open carry legislation this session, said Ian McCarthy, a student who chairs the Texas Open Carry Work Group.
"I've been calling, meeting, doing everything but nobody wants to introduce it," he said.
It's not as if there wasn't ample interest among lawmakers, McCarthy said, but "most of them are just loaded down with so many bills they've already introduced."
State Rep. Debbie Riddle, whom the open carry folks tagged months ago as the bills presumptive sponsor, had the legislation drafted but never introduced it. Her chief of staff explained to open carry members in an email that such legislation was unlikely to pass and that talks of an open carry proposal have already caused difficulties for other Second Amendments bills.
If it's any consolation, Riddle, R-Houston, did file legislation earlier this week that would allow a disabled person with a concealed carry license to openly carry a firearm if their disability prevents them from otherwise concealing it.
"That's not exactly what we were going for," McCarthy said.
Another important factor to consider in the open carry equation:
In the roughly six months since the group started fundraising through online donations to pay for radio spots, billboards and advertising on taxi's across Texas, they apparently did little to gain favor with the gun lobby.
The Texas State Rifle Association, a state affiliate of the National Rifle Association, never publicly supported the proposal, saying instead they were focusing this session on their current agenda, which did not include open carry. Ultimately, the lack of support from the influential gun lobby could have doomed the group's efforts to get a bill introduced, open carry members opined on their forums.
For now, McCarthy said the group would start focusing on a push for next session, when they anticipate asking for a bill that will allow all Texans, with or without a concealed carry license, to be allowed to openly tote their pistols.
"It's more a rights thing," he said. "People who have a concealed carry licensed, they didn't see a benefit in it."
Posted by David Rauf at March 13, 2009 04:42 PM
