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KBCraig wrote:I oppose restricting private property rights, even those of employers, but if a "parking lot" bill were to pass, this is a good start.

Too late for this go around, but perhaps the next session they can just keep it simple:

"Employers do not have the right to violate the private property rights of their employees by searching their vehicles. Employers bear no liablility for the contents of employees vehicles."

In my opinion, the private property rights being most infringed upon are the employees. If you have firearms, bibles, political campaign signs, pornography, union campaign flyers, etc... in your vehicle, it is NOT the business of your employer. Even at the airport, your vehicle is not searched when you WALK through security.

I'm sure most people got the NRA-ILA Alert this weekend. The time is NOW to make your phone calls, send your emails and snailmails to get this bill out of the Calendars Committee before it dies for the second cycle in a row.

Just follow this link.

http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=2972

KBCraig wrote: I oppose restricting private property rights, even those of employers, but if a "parking lot" bill were to pass, this is a good start.

It will be an impressive coup. if this one ever gets through. None of the other bills proposed really had much resistance, the votes were there frorom the start. This one not only has the resistance from the left. But from some folks that are normally quite supportive of us. (The business groups and property fights folks).

There will be lot of irony in this if it is passed. We have earned new privacy as CHLs on our DPS records, but we will have to tell our employers in writing that they have a CHL.

The so-called privare property rights objection is a red herring in my opinion.

It is recognized in the law that business property is subject to regulation far beyond that of ordinary private property such as a private home or a land holding. Businesses have to provide access to the disabled, for instance. Smoking may be regulated or banned. Hours of operation may be regulated. Racial discrimination may not be practiced. You can't have a hotel that had two swimming pools for instance, one of which was "whites only".

In short, most business property qualifies as a "public accommodation".

While this may not be strictly true of employee parking facilities, most of the same arguments apply. In places where there is no street parking, the company lot or garage is the only game in town. And saying, "you don't have to work there" is no different than saying (to a minority), "you don't have to swim there".

Finally, as many have pointed out, this case represents a collision of competing private property rights. The employee has a full-fledged private property right in his vehicle. Except in certain circumstances, even the government may not search it without a warrant, for instance.

And the business lobby is saying that THEY can?

It's nonsense.

SB534 isn't perfect, but it's a good start.

...and how does this bill help or hurt those of us who are teachers in public schools and wish to leave our handguns in our vehicles on designated teacher parking lots?

fizteach wrote:...and how does this bill help or hurt those of us who are teachers in public schools and wish to leave our handguns in our vehicles on designated teacher parking lots?

I would think it would help. It will be interesting though when the school board starts getting letters from CHL holder stating their intentions and even more interesting when the unions have to defend the CHLers...

fizteach wrote:...and how does this bill help or hurt those of us who are teachers in public schools and wish to leave our handguns in our vehicles on designated teacher parking lots?

1) It's a step in the right direction.

2) We all hang together or we will surely hang separately.

3) If you wait for a perfect bill to support, you may miss the chance to get a lot of good bills passed.

From NRA-ILA email:

Critical Right-to-Carry Reform Bill May Be Considered by
Texas House Tomorrow!
Please Contact Your State Representative Today!


The House Calendars Committee has finally set NRA-backed Senate Bill 534 by State Senator Glenn Hegar (R-Katy) and State Representative Patrick Rose (D-Dripping Springs) for Tuesday's House Calendar. This is the last day that Senate bills may be considered by the full House.



SB 534 allows Texas Concealed Handgun Licensees (CHLs) to transport and store their handguns in locked motor vehicles while parked on their employers' property.



Business groups and industry lobbyists are pulling out all the stops to defeat this measure. It is critical that you call your State Representative TODAY and urge him or her to support SB 534. Contact information for your State Representative can be found at http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/welcome.php.

Considering my state representative is a lock in the "yea" column...

Does anyone have a Rep who may be on the bubble???

I would love to call them up myself, and urge them on the behalf of one of their compadres...

I'm sure that once they see how serious we are, and that those of us outside their districts, but having their colleagues constituency call could tip it in our favor...

I'm going to see a few folks tonight that I know are in favor of this...I could get a few names from them I suppose in regards to this last push for 534...

I agree, this may be a good time to hit them while the iron is hot...

This bill, for whatever reservations some may have about it, would make a good bookend to this session for our community...

Mine Rep is Boris Miles. I called and let them know where I stand. Not sure where he stands as the worker was not sure of the position. But there was no smoke blow up my posterior either so...

Miles seems to vote for most of these bills so far. But I'm not 100% sure. Man I was shocked by this. I really thought it was going to die the polite political death of separate house and senate bills.

If this passes I will be VERY happy. I work from home, but the MRS. should not have to be unprotected to and from work.

Here's to hopin'

If SB534 gets to the Floor, it should pass. Unfortunately, the Calendars Committee held it for almost a month, then put it way down the list on the General State Calendar, rather than the major calendar. It is possible it may be reached, but unlikely.

Chas.

That’s really disappointing.

arthurcw wrote:That’s really disappointing.

Yes it is.

Chas.

we will have to tell our employers in writing that they have a CHL.

That's not what the law says.

The law says you have to notify your IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR in writing.

It's a fine distinction but an important one. Unless your company sits down and writes out a policy, there's a good chance they won't spell out what the supervisor has to do with the notification. My supe is a great guy--I'm sure we can work something out.

IMO, the big thing this bill buys us is that it practically eliminates the possibility of companies ACTIVELY searching for guns in the parking lot.