Gun control draws more to House races
Candidates say lawmakers should put more weight on issues such as education, growth
01/08/2000
By Christy Hoppe / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN - For decades, one of the safest votes a Texas legislator could make was to defend private gun ownership from government interference.
But such staunch advocacy could have some drawbacks today.
This week, two of the biggest gun supporters in the Texas House drew election opponents who say they entered the race because of the incumbents' preoccupation with gun issues.
Reps. Rick Green, R-Dripping Springs, and Suzanna Gratia Hupp, R-Lampasas, have touted their achievement last session of prohibiting cities and hospital districts from suing gun manufacturers.
They also helped kill legislation that would have placed restrictions on guns, such as mandatory safety locks or background checks for buyers at gun shows.
Mr. Green said he believes that his constituents are pleased with his work.
"I don't think it's a double-edged sword to protect the Second Amendment in my district," Mr. Green said.
Ms. Hupp could not be reached to comment.
Meanwhile, some advocates for limited gun control, such as Reps. Glenn Lewis and Lon Burnam, both Democrats from Fort Worth, are running unopposed.
Mr. Lewis authored a bill requiring that trigger locks be sold with new guns. Mr. Burnam proposed that minors, except when hunting, be restricted from carrying long guns. Both bills failed.
Rep. Debra Danburg, D-Houston, championed a bill that would require Brady law background checks for would-be weapons buyers at gun shows.
Ms. Danburg drew a Republican opponent, Cub Cubberly, a telephone technician making his first try for public office.
He said he's running because he disagrees with Ms. Danburg on a variety of issues, including her support of hate crime laws and the gun-show background check.
Ms. Danburg, who has served in the House 19 years, said she used to be a member of the National Rifle Association and was shooting guns on her family's ranch when she was 8 years old.
But, she said, people's attitudes about guns are changing and the Legislature will reflect that.
"Gun violence, meaning everything from suicide to accidental deaths to school shootings, has brought a lot of misery to a lot of people," Ms. Danburg said.
She points to the 2000 census, which will show a shift of population to cities and away from more rural, gun-oriented communities. Those census numbers will be used to determine state and congressional representation.
Nina Butts, lobbyist for Texans Against Gun Violence, said unyielding foes of gun control are likely to run into trouble in the future.
"You don't gain support by suggesting all teachers be armed, as Ms. Hupp did," she said. "Nor do you gain support by automatically opposing every gun-control measure, even those with wide police support."
Ms. Butts said her organization is raising money to contribute in political campaigns for the first time. Although it won't rival the tens of thousands given by the NRA and its Texas counterpart, it will give some help to gun-control advocates, Ms. Butts said.
"There's a trend," she said. "The system of weak gun control that we have in Texas simply isn't working."
Randy Gibson, executive director of the Texas State Rifle Association, said voters are pleased with candidates such as Mr. Green and Ms. Hupp.
"Both Rick and Suzanna and a lot of people in public office in Texas have more sense than the rest of the country," he said.
Texas officials resist knee-jerk laws that restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens because of illegal gun use somewhere else, Mr. Gibson said.
"They don't jump on the bandwagon and support a bunch of laws that feel good because of one incident or another," he said.
He said strong advocacy of gun rights is still a winning issue in Texas.
Don Armstrong, a Killeen cattleman and home builder, and James McCutcheon, a Lampasas County tax appraiser, will face off in the March 14 Texas primary for the right to oppose Ms. Hupp. Neither sees guns as an overriding concern.
Mr. Armstrong said education is his main issue.
"Our society will be long gone before they come for our guns if they don't fix the education system now," he said.
Said Mr. McCutcheon: "We have problems in our schools and with their funding. We have roads that need to be widened. We have those kinds of things that need to be addressed in our district, but they're not because of the gun issue."
Buddy Friedman, a Democrat and lawyer opposing Mr. Green, said prohibiting lawsuits against gun makers isn't a top issue with voters.
"I think this district has more pressing issues than that, such as growth and giving people a voice on how and where it goes," Mr. Friedman said.
Mr. Green said he has worked on other issues, such as creating a water district for Hays County.
"If there were dissatisfaction, I don't think 700 people would have shown up at my campaign kickoff," he said.
Candidates say lawmakers should put more weight on issues such as education, growth
01/08/2000
By Christy Hoppe / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN - For decades, one of the safest votes a Texas legislator could make was to defend private gun ownership from government interference.
But such staunch advocacy could have some drawbacks today.
This week, two of the biggest gun supporters in the Texas House drew election opponents who say they entered the race because of the incumbents' preoccupation with gun issues.
Reps. Rick Green, R-Dripping Springs, and Suzanna Gratia Hupp, R-Lampasas, have touted their achievement last session of prohibiting cities and hospital districts from suing gun manufacturers.
They also helped kill legislation that would have placed restrictions on guns, such as mandatory safety locks or background checks for buyers at gun shows.
Mr. Green said he believes that his constituents are pleased with his work.
"I don't think it's a double-edged sword to protect the Second Amendment in my district," Mr. Green said.
Ms. Hupp could not be reached to comment.
Meanwhile, some advocates for limited gun control, such as Reps. Glenn Lewis and Lon Burnam, both Democrats from Fort Worth, are running unopposed.
Mr. Lewis authored a bill requiring that trigger locks be sold with new guns. Mr. Burnam proposed that minors, except when hunting, be restricted from carrying long guns. Both bills failed.
Rep. Debra Danburg, D-Houston, championed a bill that would require Brady law background checks for would-be weapons buyers at gun shows.
Ms. Danburg drew a Republican opponent, Cub Cubberly, a telephone technician making his first try for public office.
He said he's running because he disagrees with Ms. Danburg on a variety of issues, including her support of hate crime laws and the gun-show background check.
Ms. Danburg, who has served in the House 19 years, said she used to be a member of the National Rifle Association and was shooting guns on her family's ranch when she was 8 years old.
But, she said, people's attitudes about guns are changing and the Legislature will reflect that.
"Gun violence, meaning everything from suicide to accidental deaths to school shootings, has brought a lot of misery to a lot of people," Ms. Danburg said.
She points to the 2000 census, which will show a shift of population to cities and away from more rural, gun-oriented communities. Those census numbers will be used to determine state and congressional representation.
Nina Butts, lobbyist for Texans Against Gun Violence, said unyielding foes of gun control are likely to run into trouble in the future.
"You don't gain support by suggesting all teachers be armed, as Ms. Hupp did," she said. "Nor do you gain support by automatically opposing every gun-control measure, even those with wide police support."
Ms. Butts said her organization is raising money to contribute in political campaigns for the first time. Although it won't rival the tens of thousands given by the NRA and its Texas counterpart, it will give some help to gun-control advocates, Ms. Butts said.
"There's a trend," she said. "The system of weak gun control that we have in Texas simply isn't working."
Randy Gibson, executive director of the Texas State Rifle Association, said voters are pleased with candidates such as Mr. Green and Ms. Hupp.
"Both Rick and Suzanna and a lot of people in public office in Texas have more sense than the rest of the country," he said.
Texas officials resist knee-jerk laws that restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens because of illegal gun use somewhere else, Mr. Gibson said.
"They don't jump on the bandwagon and support a bunch of laws that feel good because of one incident or another," he said.
He said strong advocacy of gun rights is still a winning issue in Texas.
Don Armstrong, a Killeen cattleman and home builder, and James McCutcheon, a Lampasas County tax appraiser, will face off in the March 14 Texas primary for the right to oppose Ms. Hupp. Neither sees guns as an overriding concern.
Mr. Armstrong said education is his main issue.
"Our society will be long gone before they come for our guns if they don't fix the education system now," he said.
Said Mr. McCutcheon: "We have problems in our schools and with their funding. We have roads that need to be widened. We have those kinds of things that need to be addressed in our district, but they're not because of the gun issue."
Buddy Friedman, a Democrat and lawyer opposing Mr. Green, said prohibiting lawsuits against gun makers isn't a top issue with voters.
"I think this district has more pressing issues than that, such as growth and giving people a voice on how and where it goes," Mr. Friedman said.
Mr. Green said he has worked on other issues, such as creating a water district for Hays County.
"If there were dissatisfaction, I don't think 700 people would have shown up at my campaign kickoff," he said.