Open Carry, TX. style

[barnbwt]

"when they came up with the electronic print contract, it was a near-total scam. The business would fail to show up for appointments, and fail to deliver prints."
Funny. I took lunch off of work yesterday to get my CHL prints done, and "the reservation server crashed" and "we can't do appointments without a reservation" (yes, they said this meant they were doing no fingerprints that day ) and "no, you can't make an appointment here/now" and "yeah, our website doesn't work for crud with the DPS website & problems are known & ongoing, just keep trying..." --just an excuse for everything, except letting me go about my business. And this in a Podunk rural county like Hunt, no less (so the only option). Almost had me asking "who do I have to bribe to get a CHL around here" . Who knows, maybe they're actually telling the truth and merely incompetent nearly to the point of criminality.

Local pols and LEO are pro-gun as best I can tell, so perhaps I need to drop the mayor/sheriff a line about these 'troubles,' if these are common stall tactics (I'm sure this joint gets a lot of business from the city/LEO group, so perhaps their leadership can convince them to chill out). Thanks for the heads up.

TCB

 

[elhombreconnonombre]

What a roller coaster soap opera. Thanks pards for the play by play.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Link to Activism thread for problem politicians:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9920055#post9920055

 

[JRH6856]

As I see it, the bottom line is now that the bill has little chance of passage.

If the commitee fails to agree, the House can dissolve the commitee and have another concurrence vote. If there is time.

If the committee makes no changes, the House can have another concurrence vote. If there is time.

It the committee makes any changes, both the House and Senate have to have another vote. If there is time. And Sen. Rodney Ellis (Dem Houston) has threatened during the last Senate discussion to filibuster the bill if it comes back to the Senate. That will probably kill it as the Senate will pull it down to save the time for other bills.

The only real hope is to keep it out of the Senate but time is short. I doubt seriously that Gov. Abbot will put OC on a special session agenda.

 

[X-Rap]

1200 AM radio in SA this morning is making sad predictions for OC in Texas. Says LE opposition is tanking it.

 

[barnbwt]

Awaiting the names of our appointed committee members, and whether or not we need to run Strauss out on a rail...if that guy who promised filibuster gets in, we'll know

As I asked earlier; if this fails, bigger blowback on the majority or minority?

TCB

 

[X-Rap]

I predict the protesters will be scapegoated but from what I see it has been manipulation of the political process with margins that are to tight to overcome.
A loss will be portrayed as a huge defeat to the 2A movement and Conservatives in general.

 

[wally]

A loss will be portrayed as a huge defeat to the 2A movement and Conservatives in general.

It is! It was so popular before the election that Wendy Davis knew she had to lie about being in favor of it! Since admitted.

 

[J.E. Walker]

As I asked earlier; if this fails, bigger blowback on the majority or minority?

Republicans losing the state. If they can't get some sort of bill past the small hand full of Democrats and the bloomberg moms, they need not expect people to turn out in the next election.

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

In yesterday house session, it was acknowledged that going to committee wouldn't necessarily kill this bill. If Phillips can get it out of committee as it stood, it can go right back on the floor for a vote.

 

[Midwest]

"Police complaints prompt Texas to reconsider open carry amendment"

This is getting coverage in the world wide media now from rt with quotes from The Houston Chronicle and KVUE. The article explains what happened Wednesday night and gives both sides of the story.

http://rt.com/usa/262789-texas-amendment-open-carry/


"Opposition from police is being attributed with a decision in the Texas legislature this week to stall an amendment, which would let cops ask gun owners to produce firearms permits on the spot. It’s complicating the future of the state’s open carry rules.

The Texas legislature has to act before the end of the month on a bill that would let handguns be carried openly in the Lone Star State, but the House on Wednesday stalled efforts by electing to send a controversial amendment to a bipartisan conference committee. "

.

 

[JRH6856]

"Police complaints prompt Texas to reconsider open carry amendment"

This is getting coverage in the world wide media now from rt with quotes from The Houston Chronicle and KVUE. The article explains what happened Wednesday night and gives both sides of the story.

At best, it hints at both sides of the story. The actual story is in the details not given.

 

[steve4102]

Why is Law Enforcement opposed to an Amendment to the Open Carry Bill that simply confirms the 4th Amendment?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/may/27/texas-police-groups-oppose-portion-of-open-carry-b/

But law enforcement groups rallied strong opposition, demanding lawmakers take out a provision restricting police powers to question people carrying weapons, asking them for their licenses if they had no other reason to stop them.

Here is part of the Amendment LE is opposed to.

Sec. 411.2049. CERTAIN INVESTIGATORY STOPS AND INQUIRIES PROHIBITED. A peace officer may not make an investigatory stop or other temporary detention to inquire as to a person's possession of a handgun license solely because the person is carrying in a shoulder or belt holster a partially or wholly visible handgun.

A few weeks ago.

http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/15a0092p-06.pdf

The Fourth Amendment protects “the people” from “unreasonable searches and
seizures.” U.S. Const. amend. IV. The guarantee does not prevent the police from initiating

“consensual encounter” with individuals—from approaching them on public streets and in
other public places and asking them questions. United States v. Drayton, 536 U.S. 194, 200–01
(2002). But it does prevent the police from stopping and frisking individuals in the absence of
“reasonable suspicion” that the individual has committed, or is about to commit, a crime. Terry
v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 21, 27 (1968).

Clearly established law required Bright to point to evidence that Northrup may have been
“armed and dangerous.” Sibron v. New York, 392 U.S. 40, 64 (1968) (emphasis added). Yet all
he ever saw was that Northrup was armed—and legally so. To allow stops in this setting “would
effectively eliminate Fourth Amendment protections for lawfully armed persons.” United States
v. King, 990 F.2d 1552, 1559 (10th Cir. 1993); accord United States v. Ubiles, 224 F.3d 213, 218
(3d Cir. 2000); United States v. Black, 707 F.3d 531, 540 (4th Cir. 2013); United States v. Roch,
5 F.3d 894, 899 (5th Cir. 1993).

Again, why all the opposition to what IMO is already the Law?

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Senate just appointed their HB910 conferees:

Senator Estes - Chair (SB17 author)
(512) 463-0130

Senator Huffman - (Voted for SB11 and SB17 as well as got them through State Affairs Committee, voted against HB910 and tried to poison pill the Huffhines Amendment)
(512) 463-0117

Senator Huffhines - (Author of the Huffhines Amendment that caused all the mayhem)
(512) 463-0116

Senator Eltife - Tyler Republican but no other info on him
512) 463-0101

Senator Uresti - Token Dem
(512) 463-0119

 

[Red Wind]

It's truly incredible. Texas is surrounded by Open Carry states. It's worked well in all cases, some of the states going back to when they were territories!

But with all the nearby good examples, Texas cannot get it through.

 

[xxjumbojimboxx]

Is there any reason why we shouldn't petition the governors office to have him call for extra innings? That can be done can it not?

 

[J.E. Walker]

Senator Huffhines - (Author of the Huffhines Amendment that caused all the mayhem)
(512) 463-0116-conservative- libertarian endorsements. sponsosred open carry.

Senator Eltife - Tyler Republican but no other info on him
512) 463-0101-Co- Authored Campus Carry. Promoted a bill to reduce the power of Democrats in the senate.

There appears to be only one anti-gun activist/Democrat on the house side of the committee.

Senator Uresti - Token Dem
(512) 463-0119-anti-gun activist and gun owner

"...Her husband was abusing her, she told the dispatcher. She identified him as a senator, and said he had a gun, according to two police sources who'd read the electronic dispatch report."
http://stxc.blogspot.com/2007/02/carlos-uresti-disappoints.html

Carlos Uresti has denied any wrongdoing.

 

[JRH6856]

Conference Committee report read and filed with Secretary of the Senate. I have no idea what the committee report said. Anybody?

 

[JRH6856]

Why is Law Enforcement opposed to an Amendment to the Open Carry Bill that simply confirms the 4th Amendment?

Again, why all the opposition to what IMO is already the Law?

Perhaps because the decisions you cited, while persuasive, are not binding in the 5th circuit.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

United States v. Roch is a 5th Circuit decision.

 

[barnbwt]

So why was Huffman appointed, seeing as she is the point gal for killing this bill? Senority, or something? Or is the fix now in?

TCB

 

[JRH6856]

So why was Huffman appointed, seeing as she is the point gal for killing this bill? Senority, or something? Or is the fix now in?

TCB

Huffman is what is considered a stakeholder. Plus she is vice chair of the Criminal Justice committee.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Sen. Huffman chaired the Senate State Affairs committee and has herded SB11, SB17 and HB910 through that committee. She voted for the Senate versions of Campus Carry and Open Carry.

She did vote against HB910 and tried to poison pill the Huffhines Amendment; but if she knew that amendment would endanger or kill Open Carry, it makes sense. And since Charles Cotton was saying that Huffhines was killing HB910 as that happened, I think that is a reasonable interpretation of what was going on.

Huffman is the only Senate conferee on both Open Carry and Campus Carry. If she has some special role (big if) and if I had to guess, I'd guess she is there to insure whatever the original deal on passing Open Carry and Campus Carry was gets done.

 

[Shrinkmd]

Per update on Texas Tribune, they pulled the language out about police not being able to stop people just for carrying, and now the bill can move forward. https://www.texastribune.org/2015/05/28/cop-stop-language-stripped-open-carry-bill/

I just hope it passes! We can always fix it some more next session. Wow, what a difference from NJ! Here, we pray they don't completely take everything away, and in TX the ball is moving down the field.

 

[J.E. Walker]

Now somebody needs to slip rodney ellis a powerful laxitive and or diuretic