Community/Neighborhood Meeting

[goose]

This feels like a question that would have been answered ad-nauseum but I swear I used the search feature.

Last night I went to a community/neighborhood meeting put on by one of the flood control boards here in Houston. There were elected officials and such there but it was not a city council meeting. It was a meeting for the board to present some ideas and plans for future development. Because there is always the room for someone to get upset, there were the obligatory constables there. If there was no 30.06 sign, would there be any reason I couldn’t have carried?

Thanks,

[Teamless]

Assuming there was no court, jail, or it was being held inside a school, sounds like you carry away!

[goose]

Assuming there was no court, jail, or it was being held inside a school, sounds like you carry away!

Dang, should have put that in the first note as well. And you are right. It was a community building but no court/jail/school. The Tracy Gee Community Center. They do have Canasta on Tuesday.

Thank you for the reply.

[speedsix]

...according to PC46.035 (c), it may or may not have been a violation... the cited passage says in part "...at any meeting of a governmental entity."

...governmental and entity could be construed to include a flood control board, since they are a part of the government and draw their power from government...maybe someone in Houston knows just how much connection there is...empowered and appointed by the government, doing administration of government affairs...I would not have carried there...

...if it were a private corporation meeting...no problem...

...MY BAD...it's only a problem IF they post 30.06...according to PC46.035 (i)...which I overlooked...it's not the ownership of the building that would come into play, but that it was a meeting of a governmental entity AND they had posted 30.06...

[Keith B]

Assuming there was no court, jail, or it was being held inside a school, sounds like you carry away!

Dang, should have put that in the first note as well. And you are right. It was a community building but no court/jail/school. The Tracy Gee Community Center. They do have Canasta on Tuesday.

Thank you for the reply.

As long as it was not an otherwise prohibited location, a meeting of a Government entity is OK to carry at unless they post a a 30.06.

Now, the Canasta game would be off limits. I heard there are some high stakes and opportunity for them to get awfully rowdy.

[jason237m]

Sadly for the people who would get to decide, it costs them zero personally to prosecute you with virtually unlimted resources if they decide to test the law.

It could break you defending yourself in court even if you prevail.

Not fair, but true.

[speedsix]

...KeithB, would you help me find the law on this? I don't find it in the law I quoted...and 30.06(e) exempts the property, but not the meeting...

...nebbermind...found it...it's under (i) in 30.06...right after the church exemption...

[Keith B]

Sadly for the people who would get to decide, it costs them zero personally to prosecute you with virtually unlimted resources if they decide to test the law.

It could break you defending yourself in court even if you prevail.

Not fair, but true.

So, do you plan to not carry anywhere they could possibly prosecute you? That would be anywhere.

[speedsix]

...if we live in fear of "them" disregarding the law...we're not free men...yes, there are some who would try to shove their opinion down our throats using force of their "authority"...but the written law trumps that, too...and we just have to bow up and fight for what's right...I've heard a lot of stories about such in other states...not in Texas...a few blustering threats...but no stories of successful prosecution against the law...we need to ENJOY our CHL...and rare up at those who want to intimidate us into not doing so...

[NordicTexan]

Becareful about the "it was not a meeting" thing. The Clear Lake Water Authority held a town hall meeting in January to discuss the flood control project and the old golf course. They said it was a special meeting, because anytime that so many of the board members are present it has to be declaired a meeting because of some open meetings rule. Honestly I didn't pay all that much attention to that part of the meeting but I did think it was interesting. Several local governement officials were in attendene as well.

I don't know if open meetings rule applys in all situations, someone with more legal background than I would have to weigh in on that.

[Dragonfighter]

Becareful about the "it was not a meeting" thing. The Clear Lake Water Authority held a town hall meeting in January to discuss the flood control project and the old golf course. They said it was a special meeting, because anytime that so many of the board members are present it has to be declaired a meeting because of some open meetings rule. Honestly I didn't pay all that much attention to that part of the meeting but I did think it was interesting. Several local governement officials were in attendene as well.

I don't know if open meetings rule applys in all situations, someone with more legal background than I would have to weigh in on that.

So, did they post the meeting 30.06? If not then a CHL is not prohibited from carrying there.

Now, to sidetrack a bit, Dallas City Council meetings have control points with metal detectors and security. That would qualify as effective notice (I.E. oral) wouldn't it?

[Teamless]

That would qualify as effective notice (I.E. oral) wouldn't it?

I wouldn't say yes, however, if you told the monitoring party that you were CHL and carrying, they may THEN tell you that you cannot carry there, which would envoke 30.06 notice.

The reason I wouldn't say yes is that the capital building in Austin has metal detectors, and they just made a special CHL Line, to rush you inside

[Dragonfighter]

That would qualify as effective notice (I.E. oral) wouldn't it?

I wouldn't say yes, however, if you told the monitoring party that you were CHL and carrying, they may THEN tell you that you cannot carry there, which would envoke 30.06 notice.

The reason I wouldn't say yes is that the capital building in Austin has metal detectors, and they just made a special CHL Line, to rush you inside

I see what you mean. This IS Mary Suhm's Dallas and I would bet that oral notice AND carpet burns would be forthcoming if you announced yourself. Maybe when I'm feeling froggy I'll test it out.