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We desperately need EVERY TEXAN who supports campus carry to call the following 19 legislators and voice support for both HB 750 and SB 354. This is one of the simplest and most effective things you can do to ensure the passage of these bills, and without your support in this matter, these bills may die in committee!

Each phone call should take no more than a minute. It’s like taking a phone survey—you simply call, tell the receptionist why you’re calling, and provide your contact information. You’re not going to have to debate the issue or defend your position.

If you’re a student, faculty member, college employee, or parent of a college student, be sure to include that information when you call (i.e., “I’m a student at Texas A&M University, and I’m calling to ask that Representative Hunter and the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote as soon as possible,” or, “I’m a professor at Texas Tech University, and I’m calling to ask that Senator Whitmire and the Senate Criminal Justice Committee send SB 354 to the floor WITHOUT any gutting amendments”).

Even if you’re not affiliated with a college or university, we still need you to call!


REPRESENTATIVES:

Rep. Todd Hunter – (512) 463-0672 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. Dennis Bonnen – (512) 463-0564 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. Dan Branch – (512) 463-0367 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. Byron Cook – (512) 463-0730 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. Charlie Geren – (512) 463-0610 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. Jim Keffer – (512) 463-0656 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. Tracy O. King – (512) 463-0194 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. Lois W. Kolkhorst – (512) 463-0600 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. Eddie Lucio III – (512) 463-0606 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. Allan Ritter – (512) 463-0706 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. Burt R. Solomons – (512) 463-0478 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. Vicki Truitt – (512) 463-0690 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)

Rep. John Zerwas – (512) 463-0657 (Ask that the House Calendars Committee schedule HB 750 for a floor vote ASAP.)


SENATORS:

Sen. John Whitmire – (512) 463-0115 (Ask that the Senate Criminal Justice Committee send SB 354 to the floor WITHOUT any gutting amendments*.)

Sen. Joan Huffman – (512) 463-0117 (Ask that the Senate Criminal Justice Committee send SB 354 to the floor WITHOUT any gutting amendments*.)

Sen. John J. Carona – (512) 463-0116 (Ask that the Senate Criminal Justice Committee send SB 354 to the floor WITHOUT any gutting amendments*.)

Sen. Glenn Hegar – (512) 463-0118 (Ask that the Senate Criminal Justice Committee send SB 354 to the floor WITHOUT any gutting amendments*.)

Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa – (512) 463-0120 (Ask that the Senate Criminal Justice Committee send SB 354 to the floor WITHOUT any gutting amendments*.)

Sen. Dan Patrick – (512) 463-0107 (Ask that the Senate Criminal Justice Committee send SB 354 to the floor WITHOUT any gutting amendments*.)


*The only amendments SCCC will not oppose are amendments that seek to clarify the language/intent of these bills (i.e., an amendment clarifying that these bills would not legalize concealed carry at on-campus bars) and amendments that would allow a college or university to secure an area with metal detectors and armed guards (making the area gun free in more than name only).

Some people have suggested that a reasonable compromise would be to amend HB 750 and SB 354 to allow colleges to “opt out” of allowing concealed carry on campus. However, the state law (TX PC §46.03[a][1]) prohibiting licensed concealed carry at Texas colleges already includes a provision allowing any institution of higher education to create a “written regulation or written authorization” allowing concealed carry on campus. Texas colleges currently have the option to allow concealed carry on campus, yet none have chosen to do so.

Rewording the law so that colleges have the choice to prohibit concealed carry, rather than the choice to allow it, isn’t an improvement at all; it’s just an underhanded attempt to maintain the status quo.

Even if some colleges and universities were to independently decide to allow licensed concealed carry on campus, this would simply create an unmanageable patchwork of laws across the state. License holders would never be entirely sure on which campuses they were allowed to carry handguns and on which campuses they weren’t. Even worse, this patchwork of laws would be ever-changing, based on who happened to be the university president or the system chancellor or on the board of regents at any given time.

Opponents of campus carry misleadingly suggest that campus carry legislation seeks to unfairly limit the ability of universities to self-govern. In reality, the Texas Education Code and the Texas Government Code already contain hundreds of pages of restrictions on public colleges, regulating everything from why universities can and can’t deny admission to what universities must include on their websites. Therefore, there is nothing unfair or unprecedented about insisting that state-funded colleges honor state-issued licenses.

State colleges and universities have no more right to self-govern than do cities and state agencies. If cities can’t prohibit concealed carry and state agencies can’t prohibit concealed carry, why do public institutions of higher education deserve special consideration?

Thank you all very much. Your help is GREATLY appreciated!

Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
http://www.StudentsForCampusCarry.org/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.CampusCarry.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

*Note* I also posted this message in the campus carry specific sub-forum. I posted it here as well to make sure it got seen by as many eyes as possible. If I need to remove it from one of the two locations I will gladly do so. My apologies in advance.

The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice is scheduled to meet tomorrow afternoon. (03/29 @ 1:30 PM or upon adjournment)

SB 354 is not on the agenda for tomorrow. However, it was left pending a week ago. Does that mean they could vote tomorrow to report it favorably out of committee? Or must they perform some arcane ritual before they can act further on it?

apostate wrote:The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice is scheduled to meet tomorrow afternoon. (03/29 @ 1:30 PM or upon adjournment)

SB 354 is not on the agenda for tomorrow. However, it was left pending a week ago. Does that mean they could vote tomorrow to report it favorably out of committee? Or must they perform some arcane ritual before they can act further on it?

The bills on the agenda are those scheduled for public hearing. They've already held a public hearing on SB 354, so the committee can vote on it any time they meet quorum.

Just spoke with someone in Sen. Whitmire's office who tells me the "pending" on this bill in committee is at request of the bill's author, who I believe is Sen. Wentworth, yes?

Anyway, I voiced my opinion that bill needs to be voted out of committee WITHOUT any "opt-out" provision amendment, and this gentleman told me he believes this is exactly what will be happening.

austinrealtor wrote:Anyway, I voiced my opinion that bill needs to be voted out of committee WITHOUT any "opt-out" provision amendment, and this gentleman told me he believes this is exactly what will be happening.

While John Woods et al. keep pushing to allow universities to opt out, I think the legislators supporting the bill understand that they may as well not pass the bill at all with such a provision and thus won't allow it.

I just called Sen. Wentworth's office, and the lady I spoke with said she wasn't aware of any problems or challenges w. the bill, the committee just hadn't met again to vote on it yet.

calling again today

When I called Whitmire's office last week, they told me that they were considering the substitute which let hospitals and churches on campus "opt out" if they so chose.

I will call again tomorrow. Too busy at work today.

John Woods is concentrating on the chair and Huffmann
SB 354
I make it a point to call Ellis (against us) often and point out that INDIVIDUALS should have the right to chooooose whether to be able to defend themSELVES or not.
"Pro-choice" when it comes to SELF-defense.

Joan Huffman (R) - Vice Chair - (512) 463-0117 (currently undecided)

Rodney Ellis (D) - (512) 463-0113 (currently against) (You didn't list him, but I'm a squeeky wheel)

Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D) - (512) 463-0120 (currently undecided)
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Side note:
Rep. Dan Branch office said 750 isn't passed to calendars yet?

Jasonw560 wrote:When I called Whitmire's office last week, they told me that they were considering the substitute which let hospitals and churches on campus "opt out" if they so chose.

I will call again tomorrow. Too busy at work today.

They're welcome to add pointless amendments like that; it's not like they wouldn't have already got that option anyway as hospitals and churches. We can't waste time fighting symbolic crap like that.

Anti's are cowardly. They will attach amendments and even table a progun bill in the anonymity of a committee. In a full house vote we have the votes to pass these things as they were written.

There is no legitimate reason or or history why guns should be banned from state run hospitals or churches. In fact the guns have more legitimacy at the state run universities than the churches.

Have CHL carriers caused problems in churches? in Hospitals? We are allowed to carry in many now, Why should it be restricted in state run hospitals or churches?

Charles L. Cotton wrote:Please do not call Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinajosa!! I can't say more, but contacting his office now would be very harmful. It may be necessary later, but not now!

If you read something on other boards about calling, please ignore it! There are well-meaning people who don't know what's going on.

Chas.

Noted, thanks

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http://www.americanindependent.com/1769 ... y-champion" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Heat from universities reverses position of former campus-carry champion

Hinojosa votes against bill despite authoring similar legislation in 2009

Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (D-McAllen) voted with his constituents, rather than his personal beliefs, by opposing a “campus-carry” bill that passed the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice on Thursday, staffers said.

I won't call him nor write or fax him/his office at the moment until you advise to.

Now I understand why he said "no" so quietly .... he must not have wanted to say "no"