https://texas.gunowners.org/committee-hearings-week-of-3-15/

Thank You for the update, seems like a few good bills in there.

If you can not make it to the Capitol, you can send testimony by links from the GOA website. Please read the bill and GOA talking points first, your testimony will be a lot better.

Next week March -22-26
https://texas.gunowners.org/testify/


You can bet the Mad Mommies will be there in force and will be seen and heard.


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HAPPENING NOW: TX LEGISLATORS TO VOTE ON PERMITLESS CARRY BILLS

Permitless carry would change TX law to allow people to carry a loaded firearm in public without a background check or any safety training.

HELP STOP PERMITLESS CARRY TODAY:
Send a message to the Senate State Affairs Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee to oppose dangerous permitless carry legislation >>

SEND MY MESSAGE
Gun Sense Supporter—

In 2019, Texas enacted nearly a dozen dangerous gun laws, many of which went into effect less than a month after the hate-fueled mass shooting in El Paso, and less than 24 hours after the shooting spree in Midland and Odessa. And now the Texas legislature is back for more.

Texas lawmakers are voting next week on seven dangerous gun bills that would allow for permitless carry in our state.

Permitless carry legislation strips essential permitting and training standards for carrying concealed guns in public. A permitless carry law would allow people to carry a loaded handgun in public without a background check or any safety training, critical safeguards to responsible gun ownership.

Instead of gutting critical gun safety laws, our leaders should be prioritizing public safety and safeguarding against violent extremism. Texas lawmakers need to hear from Texans like you right away.

Send your message now: Tell the Senate State Affairs Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee to reject permitless carry legislation >>

SEND MY MESSAGE
Thank you for taking action,

Texas Advocacy Team
Everytown for Gun Safety

There were a few there last Thursday, they sounded like loons.

Thursday is the day.

https://texas.gunowners.org/constitutional-carry-hearing-march-25/

If y'all can possibly show up Thursday at the Capitol...PLEASE do!!

If you can't be there PLEASE go to GOA's website and send a short email to those on the homeland security committee who will be hearing the bills.

Thank you!!

They have a link at the GOA website that you can testify right online. It is just about as good as being there. I can understand in Texas how hard it is to get to the Capitol, when you are looking at 6-10 hour drives for 2 minutes of testifying. I am lucky I am 35-40 minutes from the Capitol if there is no traffic.

Please read all the information on the GOA website, if testifying online do it before Thursday morning.

ETA: When typing online testimony on the Constitutional Carry bills start out with ‘ I SUPPORT this bill’ then list out 2-4 reasons keeping it short and to the point.

Here's to hoping today's events in Boulder don't skew this thing.

If you want Constitutional Carry to pass, and if there is anyway you can make to the Capitol SHOW UP!!!! GOA will have tee shirts there, prepare for a long day even if you don’t want to testify on the Constitutional Carry bills. Just wear clean clothes no real need for suits etc.

Just showing up is more than 99% of the gun owners in this state will do. If testifying on Constitutional Carry do not sign up to orally testify on other bills, you can do those online.

With 10 dead it’s about to be a full court press on anything against guns over the next few months.

The best way to advance pro-gun bills, including Constitutional Carry, would be to attend the committee meeting about it on Thursday, the 25th.

If you can't, then please take just a few minutes to write statements in support of the pro-gun bills.  The House web site for comments is linked below.  Constitution Carry bills are 1238 (Biedermann), HB 1911 (White), HB 1927 (Schaefer), HB 2700 (Hefner).  You could use the same comments on all 4 bills - they slightly differ in terms of age for carry, carry aspect on private property, etc.  Any of them would be a great advancement for gun rights.  

https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c420

Data from Gun Owner's of America's email about happenings this week, and how to help.

https://texas.gunowners.org/category/action-alerts/

Part 1: Gun Bills This Week  ?

Thursday 3/25 House Hearing: Constitutional Carry and more!

The House Homeland Security Committee will meet this Thursday after adjournment. Generally, these meetings have been starting around 11 am. See hearing notice.

The hearing includes Constitutional Carry, other gun bills (good and bad), and non-gun-related bills.  

Because Constitutional Carry bills are authored by committee members, they will likely be heard last.

Bills on which GOA is taking a position:

PRIORITY SUPPORT Constitutional Carry: HB 1238 (Biedermann), HB 1911 (White), HB 1927 (Schaefer), HB 2700 (Hefner) — See our handout

PRIORITY SUPPORT Domestic Violence Victim Defense: HB 1094 (Oliverson) — Read bill | See our handout

SUPPORT First Responder Carry: HB 1069 (Harris) — See our description

OPPOSE Ban on Long Gun Carry: HB 127 (Ortega) — See our description

OPPOSE Public LTC Number Postings: HB 1039 (Goodwin) — See our description

URGENT: Give input on these bills.

Submit comments on these bills online. Start with “I SUPPORT this bill” or “I OPPOSE this bill,” then list 1-3 reasons. The comment form will close when the hearing ends on Thursday.

Call and email committee members.

Show up at the hearing in person. Register for/against all the bills listed above, and speak for 2 minutes in support of Constitutional Carry. Text your name to 844-222-7349 to get details and updates.


Join us to discuss this news Mondays at 8 PM

RSVP Now

Part 2: How to Show Up At the Capitol
What to Bring

Comfortable walking shoes

Water bottles and packaged snacks (you might miss your chance to speak if you leave to get food)

A sweater

Phone / laptop / tablet and charging cables / power banks

Something to do while you wait – sometimes you have to wait for hours!

Dress nicely—but you don’t need to buy new clothes. Be clean and neat. Wear professional clothes if you can; otherwise, slacks or jeans are fine.

Parking

Park at the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage, 1201 San Jacinto – a block away from the Capitol.  

Parking is free for the first two hours, with a maximum of $12 for all day.

The garage almost always has plenty of space, is wheelchair accessible, and is tall enough for most pickup trucks or large SUVs.

Getting Inside

Only the North entrance is open currently.

From the parking garage, you can see the Capitol dome. Walk towards the Capitol and around the right side of it to get to the North entrance.

If you have your LTC, go to the sign for “CARD / CHL ENTRANCE.” Hand them your LTC. They’ll scan it and wave you through.

Otherwise, stand in line to go through the metal detector. It’s not like the airport; everything legal outside the building is legal inside. You don’t have to take off your shoes.

Finding the Hearing Room

The elevators are just inside, to the right or left.  

The hearing room will be listed on the hearing notice.

Most hearings are on level E1 or level E2. Those are underground. Take the elevator DOWN to E1 or E2, then walk down the corridor until you see the correct hearing room on the left or right. Rooms numbered .030 or above are all the way at the end.

See Capitol floorplan maps here.

COVID Protocols

Masks are required in hearing rooms but not walking throughout the Capitol.

COVID tests are NOT required for House hearings, but they ARE required for Senate hearings and for some Senate offices.  

COVID tests are available in the tents outside the North entrance. You insert a swab into your own nose (unsupervised) and you typically get results within 15 minutes. Allow enough extra time.

If you do not wish to take a COVID test, do not go inside the Senate hearing room – we are happy to find other ways for you to help!  

Some offices require masks, some require appointments in advance, and a few may require COVID tests.

Registering a Position / Registering to Speak

You will need to register your position on each bill (for/on /against) and indicate whether you wish to speak.

House hearings: Find the iPad kiosks back behind the hearing rooms. Sign in there. You’ll need to know the committee and the bill number.  

Or go to hwrs.house.texas.gov/ on your tablet while connected to the Capitol wifi.

It’s easier if you set up an account ahead of time.

Senate hearings: Most of them use paper cards. Ask the clerk in the hearing room.

You can use “on” as your position if you like some parts but want them to change it – or if you think it’s good but doesn’t go nearly far enough. Then use your testimony to tell them the changes you want.

Preparing Testimony

Be sure you know what the bill does, and be sure you talk about why THAT BILL is good or bad.

You can also submit written testimony – try for a handout that summarizes your main points, or adds some data, charts, or links.  

Your testimony should connect with both the head (facts & logic) and the heart (tell your story and how this personally affects you).  

Be specific. Not “please support gun rights” but instead “repeal the license requirement to carry a handgun.”

Practice saying it in 2 minutes or less.

Delivering Testimony

Start with your name, your position on the bill, and who you are representing.

Focus on one main point – don't try to get everything in.  

Speak clearly, look at the committee members, and end on time especially if they have a timer showing you that your time is up.

Yeah, let's all run and hide..This is the perfect time to show MORE PEOPLE CARRYING GUNS WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER TIME STOPPING THIS GUY!!!!

checking my PTO balance tomorrow. Typed something up tonight... gotta refine it, etc.

Each Constitutional Carry bill will be heard individually, so figure you will be limited to no more than 2 minutes, maybe even 1 minute. Also if you want to testify on any of the other gun bills please do so online. Figure on staying late into the evening. If you have good hand outs to go with your testimony print out at least a dozen copies, this is especially important if they are statistics that can get confusing listening to.

Even if you do not feel comfortable testifying just being there will make a huge difference, showing you felt strong enough about Constitutional Carry to travel to Austin.

For those that can not make it to Austin go online and show your support for all 4 Constitutional Carry bills, we are very lucky this year to have such an important addition caused of all things by the pandemic.

It would also be the perfect time to show the FBI failed at its job again.   Unfortunately instead of gun owners pushing back we will just have gun owners say stupid things like “i lost my guns in a boating accident” while reading emails from the GOA assuming they are actually doing something besides emails.

Here at the Capitol it is going to be a late night but all 3 of the Constitutional Carry bills are excellent and should make it through Homeland Security

Great! I faxed the committee members in support of them last night.

You can send testimony until this evening. Go to the GOA Texas link above and send support for the 3 Constitutional Carry bills.  Also against the no long gun Carry in public bill

Thank you sir for the updates !  

We are expecting Constitutional Carry to be heard at 10PM. Long day and night

Hearing long gun carry ban now

Here is the stream for those who want to listen in, still taking comments on long gun open carry ban.

https://tlchouse.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=9&event_id=6052

I didn’t even know a long gun carry bill was being discussed. Is it considered DOA like usual this time? I felt like I used to have a good feed on what was happening, this session... been quiet.  Appreciate the updates here

I'm pretty hopeful it will die in committee.

Reading the committee members I think it will die

Get on GOA email and text lists. Then you will know the latest on bills.

We are starting Constitutional Carry testimony. Looks like a long night

John Lott is here speaking for the bills!

How's the temperature in the room?

Any news on how this went this morning?

All 4 bills got heard by about 6 this morning. There are 5 very solid Constitutional Carry votes on the committee, including the chair. To be honest you could not ask for a better chair of the committee. A couple of the pro gun bills they voted on from last week passed out of committee by 7-2 votes picking up 1 Democrat. The committee is 6 Republicans and 3 Democrats.

The chair even talked about how polite all the pro-gun people were not screaming, yelling and attacking committee members. What happened in the afternoon was there was testimony on the ‘George Floyd bill’ and it came close to breaking out in a riot. If not for so many DPS officers and armed citizens at the Capitol it would have been a real shit show. It was because of the ‘George Floyd bill’ that Constitutional Carry bills did not start till start till after 11 PM.

There were over 70 GOA members testifying, quite a few Young Republicans, plus John Lott and Stephen Willeford plus other Constitutional Carry activists. The Moms and Gun Nonsense had maybe 6 stay to testify but had no more than a dozen during the day. They were leaving before 5 PM.

The bill(s) will be voted on next week.

It sure was a late night

Yep, I hope all of you that could not make it, went to the GOA TX website and testified online. You can testify on 4-5 bills in 15-20 minutes.

GOA with Rachel Malone and Felisha Bull at the lead we had a great turn out of grassroots activists.

Called my State Representative & State Senator & reminded them I have faithfully voted for them every election because I believe they, as Conservative Republicans, will FULLY support & expend my Gun Rights - Specifically "Constitutional Carry" in this session.

They "Got the Message" alright!

BIGGER_HAMMER

Call your state Reps especially if they are on the Calendar Committee, then on to the floor. HB1911 authored James White, chair of Homeland Security is co authored by the chair of the Calendar Committee.

Call your State Senator ask them to coauthor SB540 (Constitutional Carry in the Senate)

For the years I've observed him James White has shown to be a level-headed Constitutionally-minded guy. My work schedule has kept me in uncomfortable distance from home life much less keeping track of this session of the Texas legislature, however I do take some comfort in seeing Mr. White's name appear.
Godspeed to our Texas Patriots

When all the naysayers whined and cried about Phelan ‘selling out gun owners’, I asked everyone to contact Phelan and asked he appoint a solid pro-gun as chair of Homeland Security committee, and Phelan did. There are also 5 real solid supporter of Constitutional Carry on the committee, which real good.

James White is not only a solid supporter of the Second Amendment and gun rights, but also very impressive watching him do his job.

There are 3 bills in the House State Affairs Committee this Thursday. NOt exciting bills, but very important bills that can mean a lot for us later.

HB 1500 Repeal of Emergency Powers Act, this bill restricts the Governor from banning gun when a emergency declaration is declared. WE have been lucky with Abbott, but think of Governor Beto..

HB 2622 Texas Sanctuary State Bill, this bill prevents state resources to be used to enforce federal gun bans.

HB 2558 Keep Tax Dollars Away From Anti-Gun Businesses, prevents the state and local governments from any contract over $100,000 that are anti-gun

If you can not make this hearing, please go online a register your support

Anyone have thoughts on this? HB929

https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/texas-politics/botham-jean-act-to-be-introduced-monday-to-state-lawmakers/2591636/




If that is all it does then it seems reasonable.

Here is the actual text of the bill.
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/billtext/html/HB00929I.htm

It will go no where or be so stripped out it might be a 'we passed something' bill.

This is all very encouraging news.

HB 1500 is of importance to me. When local counties issued their lockdowns in the Spring of last year, the Kaufman County Sheriffs Department told me they would enforce it even against a members-only outdoor shooting range. I can understand the need to protect citizens from a new pandemic. But even back then it was known the danger was more from crowded indoor quarters, not outdoor pursuits, especially in a rural, sparsely populated area. I was appalled when I tried to explain that to them to no avail.

HB 929?   Fuck ANY weakening the Castle Doctrine to become "Are you a few inches off your property" or any of the other Libtard Legal Fuckery that bill would unleash upon Citizens defending themselves from Criminals.

Calling my Senator & Representative to torpedo that Bull Shit!  

Yeah, it does look it it reduces the "defense to prosecution" aspect in that part of law to only being on your property.  There may be other sections where you can claim self-defense while in a public place, or on someone else's property, but I don't see the need to change the current law.  

If this is in relation to where the Dallas lady copy shot the dude while he was in his own apartment, her claiming she thought it was her own place (?), that case ended up with her either pleading guilty or being convicted, so a change of law is not required.  

Below is the link to the House comment form, where you can comment on the 3 pro-gun bills (1500, 2558, and 2622).  Comments need to be in before they are done with the hearing, so get them in by Thursday morning.  Should take about 2-3 minutes per bill for you.  It makes a huge difference, as 99.99 percent of the public doesn't do this.

https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c450

And data and talking points about these bills from the GOA site:

https://texas.gunowners.org/goa-texas-bullet-3-29-2021/

I've been very impressed at the job Texas GOA has done this year - and yes, it's more than send out emails.  They summarize bills, provide data to talk about them with your Reps, let people know when bills are moving along, and attend every gun bill hearing.  If you'd like to support their fine work, become a member of Texas GOA.

https://donate.gunowners.org/jointexas/

Burnet county did the same thing to Copperhead Creek. Made no sense to me you are at an outdoor range.

I’m more worried about something happening like in California, where Newscum made the gun shops close because they were none essential.

Contact to OPPOSE HB 929 that WEAHENS The Castle Doctrine and repeals some use of force!

https://comments.house.texas.gov/home

Yep, made no sense to me, either, especially at a rural, outdoor range. I see that both Burnet and Kaufman counties are solidly Republican.

https://www.dailytrib.com/2020/11/03/burnet-countys-record-breaking-turnout-solidly-republican/

http://www.terrelltribune.com/community/article_a1ad2364-1ec3-11eb-a0d4-2f24f22ad56c.html

From a political mindset, I’m baffled as to why the local Sheriffs’ departments took that enforcement stance when the lockdown orders came out. Either way, I’m glad language was included in the draft bill to keep shooting ranges open.

It was not the sheriff in Burnet county, but orders from the county judge.

Don:

How did the hearings go yesterday on the other bills - Emergency Powers, 2nd Amend Sant, and no state business with gun boycotters?  Was there a good turnout for those bills, and did the Committee seem receptive to them?

I have not heard anything, I was at Homeland Security for a while and then had a doctor's appointment.

Interesting. In my case, I called the Sheriffs Dept and inquired. That’s when they told me the order applied to the outdoor gun range and they would enforce it as such.

Two other bills voted out of Homeland Security Committee is HB 918 reducing the age for a LTC to 18, and HB 1407 that expands how you may carry in a vehicle.