Desired CHL Reform

[Ol Zeke]

Am I not the only one, who is optimistic about our chances, after the Nov. elections to get more favorable CHL Legislation? I’m optimistic that we are going to have a far more conservative legislature, next time they meet.

If so, what’s at the top of your list?

Do away with “Gun Free Zones”?

Eliminate 30.06? (Did you know there are states who’s CHL statutes prohibit businesses from forbidding CCW?)

Make it a CWL? (Does anyone else find it totally ludicrous that we can carry a concealed handgun but not a boot knife?)

Your thoughts?

[Medic218]

All I'm really lookin forward to is the parking lot bill getting passed.
I'm also in favor of college campus carry but Im not in college so it doesn't really affect me.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Am I not the only one, who is optimistic about our chances, after the Nov. elections to get more favorable CHL Legislation? I’m optimistic that we are going to have a far more conservative legislature, next time they meet.

If so, what’s at the top of your list?

Do away with “Gun Free Zones”?

Eliminate 30.06? (Did you know there are states who’s CHL statutes prohibit businesses from forbidding CCW?)

Make it a CWL? (Does anyone else find it totally ludicrous that we can carry a concealed handgun but not a boot knife?)

Your thoughts?

I do not anticipate a huge swing in the make-up of the Texas Legislature. I hope we can pick up the five (5) House seats that went from Republican to Democrat in the 2008 election. If we get more then that's even better.

No chance of repealing "gun free zones" but we will be fighting for another campus security bill (a/k/a campus-carry) as well as employer parking lots.

Repeal of 30.06 would be a giant step backward to 1997. TPC 30.06 protects CHL's, it's not a detriment. Respect for private property rights is far too strong in Texas to even try to prohibit businesses from barring armed CHL's.

CWL? I agree that it's silly not to be able to carry a knife if you can carry a handgun. However, it's not likely to be on our 2011 Legislative Agenda. There are just too many other things we need to address, while taking care of our two flagship bills.

Chas.

[cubbyjg]

Open carry would be nice

[TheArmedFarmer]

Any chance of Constitutional Carry like Arizona recently passed?

[Rex B]

Any chance of Constitutional Carry like Arizona recently passed?

That would get my vote. Surely CHL fees don't cover the cost of administration.
Present it as a cost-cutting measure

[Outbreaker]

Amend 30.06

Any busisness that posts this notice is directly liable for anything that happens to a CHL holder due to him being diarmed!

[hirundo82]

Any chance of Constitutional Carry like Arizona recently passed?

That would get my vote. Surely CHL fees don't cover the cost of administration.
Present it as a cost-cutting measure

I think it is unlikely that the CHL program doesn't pay for itself. Florida's application fees are less than in Texas, and they have an $8 million trust fund that they have built up from license fees.

[Ziran]

How about something along these lines (both A) and B)):

A) Make business immune to any civil law suits (similar to castle doctrine) resulting from people being shot on premises if they explicitly allow concealed carry on premises by their employees and anyone else legally entering their premises (basically the idea is to reward businesses that recognize reality that the best way to protect folks is to make sure good guys are armed).

B) Make business explicitly liable for civil damages resulting from folks being shot on premises if they disallow concealed carry (even if it is only for their employees).

This way the "true believers" can still ban guns if they want to but these that do it only for boilerplate legal / insurance reasons would now have every reason to explicitly allow CHL.

[RHenriksen]

How about something along these lines (both A) and B)):

A) Make business immune to any civil law suits (similar to castle doctrine) resulting from people being shot on premises if they explicitly allow concealed carry on premises by their employees and anyone else legally entering their premises (basically the idea is to reward businesses that recognize reality that the best way to protect folks is to make sure good guys are armed).

B) Make business explicitly liable for civil damages resulting from folks being shot on premises if they disallow concealed carry (even if it is only for their employees).

This way the "true believers" can still ban guns if they want to but these that do it only for boilerplate legal / insurance reasons would now have every reason to explicitly allow CHL.

Seems hugely rational to me. Can't speak to the political feasibility, but seems pretty reasonable/rational here.

I can understand, though, the priority being campus carry and parking lot bills first. Open Carry, while probably not something that would be widely practiced, would have the fringe benefit of eliminating the paranoia (some justified, see: Round Rock PD) of printing.

The elimination of prints/pics for renewals is a great improvement at low effort (no legislative act required). Reducing license fees would be very nice - it's still awfully expensive to get a CHL. Does anyone have a ranking of the cost of CHL for all states? I'm talking about a comprehensive accounting (fee + class + prints/pics + ammo + misc).

[boomerang]

The same carry rules for a CHL on vacation as a LEO on vacation.

[A-R]

Amend 30.06

Any busisness that posts this notice is directly liable for anything that happens to a CHL holder due to him being diarmed!

How about something along these lines (both A) and B)):

A) Make business immune to any civil law suits (similar to castle doctrine) resulting from people being shot on premises if they explicitly allow concealed carry on premises by their employees and anyone else legally entering their premises (basically the idea is to reward businesses that recognize reality that the best way to protect folks is to make sure good guys are armed).

B) Make business explicitly liable for civil damages resulting from folks being shot on premises if they disallow concealed carry (even if it is only for their employees).

This way the "true believers" can still ban guns if they want to but these that do it only for boilerplate legal / insurance reasons would now have every reason to explicitly allow CHL.

While I could nitpick certain things, I REALLY like the direction of both of the above statements. If you - as a property owner - deny me my inherent natural right to protect myself while I visit your property - then you - as property owner - take full responsibility and liability for my well being while I visit your property. And nothing would have to be "proved" in court - meaning no arguments of "even if he had his gun he still couldn't protect himself from that armed thug" - basically if you ban CHL and a CHLee is victim to violent crime on your property, then you're liable. Period. And notice I said the property owner is only liable for the safety of the CHLees. This is not a free-for-all open liability for ALL customers. Just the CHLees whose rights you've supplanted with your own rights.

I am all for property rights. I'm a big believer in property rights. I respect property rights and protect my own property rights strongly. BUT ... my natural right of self defense trumps ANYONE's property rights EVERY time.

Just like the rights of the handicapped to access an open-to-the-public business trump the rights of the property owner to not be forced to alter his building to accomodate them. That is the best analogy for CHL rights trumping property rights ... the ADA.

[glbedd53]

I partly agree with what Charles said about not wanting 30.06 repealed, part of me still believes CHL's should be allowed to carry anywhere LEO's can carry. Why not? Even in bars , if you're not drinking, why not? Sporting events, how did that ever get put in there anyway? I can't think of many places I would need to be armed more than leaving Minutemaid Park at night. That's the biggest reason I waited this long to get my CHL, too many places you still can't protect yourself and your family.

[HighHandicap]

I'm definitely one of those "parking lot" guys. My company has a very New England philosophy on guns and an office in a shady neighborhood. Heck, last month we took a parking lot safety training and it was all about using your keys to protect yourself, getting in the car quickly when leaving the building, etc. Makes you wonder how safe we really are at work.

[jimlongley]

I'm definitely one of those "parking lot" guys. My company has a very New England philosophy on guns and an office in a shady neighborhood. Heck, last month we took a parking lot safety training and it was all about using your keys to protect yourself, getting in the car quickly when leaving the building, etc. Makes you wonder how safe we really are at work.

Which part of New England? Vermont style carry would possibly be a good thing; New Hampshire carry licensing is somewhat loose, with local control and low fees; Maine carry resembles NH, with some interesting provisions that would deny a Texan a CHL. That's an awful lot of New England.

I would agree that Parking lot should be a primary focus.