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by croc870
Mon Dec 06, 2010 10:45 am
Forum: 2011 Texas Legislative Session
Topic: List your highest priority issue for 2011
Replies: 95
Views: 14995

Re: List your highest priority issue for 2011

@LRB111--SCCC only a takes a position on one single issue: licensed carry on college campuses. In short, we only support carry on colleges campuses by those with a concealed carry license. As for specific laws, I'd generally say that Penal code 46.03 (a) and (c) needs to be amended to to allow carry by a CHL holder and the Gov Code 411 subsections dealing with CHLs need to have a section added allowing campus carry and preempting public college restrictions. The final decision on what language to use however, would of course come from the bill author.

To be successful, campus carry legislation needs to accomplish two goals: Legalize concealed carry on college campuses by license holders and prohibits public institutions from creating restrictions on concealed carry by license holders. While a bill that only legalizes carry would be a helpful intermediate step, it would not be truly effective without the preemption on collegiate restrictions.

I think it's important to note that the two states that allow concealed carry on campus, Utah and Colorado, both passed general bills establishing concealed carry statewide and preempting other governmental authorities from creating their own restrictions. They did not pass bill specifically targeting colleges. Because of this generalized language in the legislation, both states have had legal action on the matter.
by croc870
Mon Dec 06, 2010 1:29 am
Forum: 2011 Texas Legislative Session
Topic: List your highest priority issue for 2011
Replies: 95
Views: 14995

Re: List your highest priority issue for 2011

Well, I'm on the Board of Directors for Students for Concealed Carry, so it's not like my vote was in question. Having said that, this is my rational: Campus carry has a criminal penalty-- you can go to prison simply for wanting to defend yourself. You can defy the rules against parking lot without fear of jail time and while remaining a law abiding citizen.

Parking lots are not governmental property, but private. While I agree with the interpretation that it's an extension of your home, I think it's far more offensive for the government to ban self-defense than for private industries to do so. Forbidding campus carry is a governmental guarantee of unarmed victims to criminals.

That's not to speak ill of any pro-gun legislation of course, but it's certainly something to think of when it comes to "top" priority. All that said however, if I'm looking strictly from the perspective of the TSRA, parking lots did come first in 2007.

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