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I contacted my Texas State Rep, Representative Ben Solomons, regarding the chances of potential open-carry legislation for next session. His aide, Beth Morrison (a very sharp gal), tells me that in the Texas House, a bill proposing a Texas open-carry policy would most likely be referred to and heard in the Committee on Public Safety. I intend to let each of the Committee Members, as well as my House and Senate reps, know that this voter would appreciate an open carry bill being introduced in the next session. If any of the fine folks here are interested in seeing open carry here in Tesax, here are the members of the Public Safety Committee:

Representative Hubert Vo - Houston
Representative Eddie Rodriguez - Austin
Representative Tryon D. Lewis - Odessa
Representative Joe Driver - Garland
Representative Lon Burnam - Ft. Worth
Representative Barbara Mallory Caraway - Dallas
Representative Phil King - Weatherford
Representative Tommy Merritt - Longview (Committee Chair)
Representative Stephen Frost - New Boston (Committee Vice Chair)

Last session, open carry support was being garnered by some reasonable folks and they has the ball rolling and even a Legislature who was willing to introduce the bill.

However, there were quite a few boisterous and arrogant individuals in the open carry movement that tried to bully their way into forcing open carry legislation, and the support and positive views by all those needed to introduce it was soon shut down.

There was really a lot of damage done by the tactics used by quite a few supporters last session. I really think trying to get any legislator to support and many to pass it will take an extreme act of finesse and lots of positive press instead of the arrogant and forceful tact taken last time.

Don't be surprised if you meet with some real negative views of open carry and its supporters by anyone you speak to in the Texas legislature. They possibly will still be tender enough that they won't even want to talk about it.

Thanks for the thoughts - I'm real new at all this and legislative stuff and nothing would surprise me when it comes to how this mess all works - or doesn't work. We'll see what happens - I'm a fairly sane guy, and perhaps with a calm request like I made to the members of the committee it'll go differently this time - of course, I can't control the hot-heads out there on this issue that flock like moths to a flame - "a few bad apples" . . .

Understand. If you want to see a lot of the debate from the open carry issue last session, just use the search feature here on the forum. Search for open carry select to search on topics, and it will return some of the very large discussions we had. Lots of information that would be helpful to arm yourself with before heading into this territory IMO.

Here is a good thread to provide some insight on this topic and the problems. This was status updates from Charles Cotton, our forum owner and new Executive Director of the TSRA http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... 4&p=243202" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Edit to add one more BIG one http://www.texasshooting.com/TexasCHL_F ... 29&start=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Personally I could care less about open carry. As stated by Keith a few people with a lack of common sense and utilizing a threatening nature caused the open carry initiative more harm than good, these actions will not be forgotten anytime soon by the politicians whose help is critical to the passing of any bill.

Until the open carry group engages the people who have first hand knowledge about how to get firearms related bills written and sponsored they have no chance of getting anything accomplished. I believe if they will ever be successful with an Open Carry Initiative they will need the buy in and support of the TSRA and it's members.

Bully tactics originating from Virginia will not work in Texas, they need a one step at a time common sense approach which I have yet to see from this group.

Thanks for the thoughts - like I said, I'm new at this, and just trying to make my thoughts known to my elected representatives - that's what our system is supposed to be all about, right? I have no knowledge about any heavy-handed tactics from Virginia - I would hope that a note from a voting constituent (me) would carry more weight than somethign from an out-of-state person - but then again, I'm an idealist.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't think getting OC passed (or 46.02 neutered) will happen without the support of the TSRA. One of OpenCarry.Org's rants was that TSRA wasn't getting onboard. What they were lacking was the understanding that TSRA decides what the goals for the session are way ahead of time, not 3 months before. The time is now to join TSRA, and get enough mass from the membership asking for them to work on passing OC. After all, that's what they're supposed to do, represent the membership, not some group from Virginia.

Just my opinion from reading all the info as this was going on.

FWIW, we've traveled through several "Open Carry" western states this summer and are currently in Gardiner, MT. I've yet to see anyone carrying a handgun openly in NM, CO, UT, NV, CA, OR, WA, ID or MT - exept LEO's. Tomorrow, we start back to Tejas across WY and then southward.

BTW, I definitely did not like being disarmed on the left coast where many of the males reminded me of Charles Manson and many of the others bore a resemblance to 'Squeaky' Fromm. (Who remembers them?)

Back on point: I still think that "Open Carry" is a sleeping dog in Texas that should be let lie.

I wouldn't even think about Open Carry at this juncture, since we couldn't manage to get something as innocuous as the "Parking Lot" bill pushed through last session.

flintknapper wrote:I wouldn't even think about Open Carry at this juncture, since we couldn't manage to get something as innocuous as the "Parking Lot" bill pushed through last session.

That bill had all the support. It didn't come up for a vote because the America haters didn't want people to have to show a photo ID to vote. That held up the parking lot bill and numerous other legislation that would have passed easily.

Like other people said in previous discussions, open carry works in pro-gun places but Texas isn't ready.

Back on point: I still think that "Open Carry" is a sleeping dog in Texas that should be let lie.

I repectfully disagree. If it passed in TX, you'd likely see -- or not see, actually -- the same thing here that you noticed out West: not much open carrying, but people have the choice. It is the freedom to choose for yourself that is key. It gets awfully hot here and concealing can be inconvenient. As a CHL-holder, the state (and FBI) have cleared me and I'm trusted to secretly carry a gun. Thus, I'm given permission to override other people's weapon preferences (if they knew I was carrying, they might choose to leave out of fear). Yet, I can't choose to carry it in a way that is easier for me? Same gun. Same guy. This makes no sense to me.

For others, it might be about showing off. It might be about pseudo-intimidation. I doubt that these are the motivations for many open carriers, but I'll admit that for a few it maybe true. Yet, by your own account, you've seen none of that in the other states. What makes you think that Texas would be any different?

As stated in my opening paragraph, if open carry passed in Texas I think you'd rarely see it, just as you rarely see it elsewhere. A few people would avail themselves of the new freedom, but even most CHL holders wouldn't. Yet, it is still worth doing even if few will exercise the right because open carry truly is what the 2nd Amendment is all about. It is also truth in advertising. Shouldn't the hopolophobe have the opportunity to move along if I have a gun and he's uncomfortable?

SA-TX

"It is the freedom to choose for yourself that is key." - THAT'S one of the main reasons why I originally started this post.

, 10-4 on freedom of choice.

However, like some others, I question the timing as well as the approach that was taken by some in the past session.

texas yankee wrote:"It is the freedom to choose for yourself that is key." - THAT'S one of the main reasons why I originally started this post.

That's correct... while I probabl wouldn't ever open carry, the state should not prevent me from exercising my 2nd Amendment rights...

It is definitely up to the open carry folks though to gain support of the tried and true gun rights groups that have done so much for the 2nd amendment in our state. Their approach last session was not acceptable.