Heads Up, Texans!

S

Stephen A. Camp

Staff In Memoriam
Four bills were introduced in the Texas House on Jan 12th that would make private sales between individuals at gun shows illegal. One can see that it's but a short step to making sales between honest Texans unlawful even if not at gun shows.

Contact your elected STATE senators and representatives expressing your opposition to such ill-thought legislation.

The bills in question are:

HB194 (Burnam)
HB367 (Hinojosa)
HB404 (Danburg)
HB635 (Turner)

More information on this should be available at the Texas State Rifle Association soon. (www.tsra.com)


Best and your help is needed.
 
I'm a Texan here at TFL! These bills don't stand a snowballs chance in Hell of passing through our legislature. I'll contact my rep and senator anyway. Funny how Texas hasn't had the mass shootings of other states with more stringent GC laws. I wonder why that is?
 
E-mail and handwritten letters went out this morning.

Bills like this get introduced to the Texas legislature every couple of years when the Legislature convenes. Theyusually die quick and nasty deaths, but I'm feeling a little skittish lately.

LawDog
 
Just to clarify, all of these bills outlaw private sales between individuals at gun shows or do any of the bills propose any type of background check?

The staffer for my state rep grilled me at length last time we talked and I want to be sure I have my facts straight since this particular legislator is a bit wishy washy on RKBA.
 
From TSRA:

Below is the author, the bill number, and a brief description of the proposed legislation. It is still early in the session and committee hearings will be
scheduled later. No Senate legislation has been filed referring to gun shows yet. Access the full text of this introduced legislation at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/ and see what you think. Is this what you really want the legislature to pass into law?

If not, write, call, fax, or email your State Representative and your State Senator and Governor Rick Perry. Contact information is available at
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/ .

HB 194 Author: Lon Burnam of Ft. Worth changes the rules for firearm sales in and outside of gun shows. This would affect all firearms sales including shotguns and rifles. Any violation would be a felony and the penalty is increased if it occurs at a gun show.
Click to expand...

That's right folks - if Grandpa doesn't keep up with the latest changes in firearms law since he bought his shotgun thirty years ago he can now become a felon and lose his rights forever by trying to sell or pass on the same shotgun. Sorry Grandpa - didn't you know you had to run a background check to pass that on to your 18yr. old grandson?

Bonus Points: This isn't limited to gun shows either. It covers ALL private sales of ANY firearm. Screw up once and you are a felon with no more gun rights.

Text of Bill:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-...&BILLTYPE=B&BILLSUFFIX=00194&VERSION=1&TYPE=B

HB 367 Author: Representative Juan Hinojosa of McAllen. Relates to the creation of an offense prohibiting certain firearms sales at gun shows. To purchase a
firearm at a gun show a person must have a CHL or be cleared through the NICS. The penalty is a felony which would deny you the right to own firearms.
Click to expand...
Text of Bill:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-...&BILLTYPE=B&BILLSUFFIX=00367&VERSION=1&TYPE=B

HB 404 Author: Representative Debra Danburg of Houston.
Requires background checks at gun shows or anywhere near a gun show. An individual sale must be cleared through NICS, unless the purchaser is a peace officer, or has a CHL. Individuals must maintain a record the of any firearm
sale. Gun show promoters must provide for NICS to be available and a charge of up to $10 can be made for background checks. A gun show promoter must give local
law enforcement 30 days written notice of a gun show. There are also signage requirements.

The consequences of Danburg's legislation would require you to assign ownership to your gun that is for sale to the FFL dealer while the check is being done. If the potential customer does not pass the background check, you will have to be checked. If there is a glitch in the NICS system (and it does happen), you will not get your gun back.
Click to expand...

We all know how great NICS works right? Let's say you hand over your firearm to the dealer to run a check - oops, system is down. Dealer can't transfer your gun and can't return it to you under this law. Hope he doesn't live too far away since he'll be keeping your gun until NICS is back up.

Bonus points: read the fine print on this one... a gun show promoter is liable for practically anything that happens at his show under this vaguely worded bill. How many people do you think will want to hold gun shows when they can be held responsible for any law broken by their patrons or dealers?
Text of Bill:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-...&BILLTYPE=B&BILLSUFFIX=00404&VERSION=1&TYPE=B

HB 635 Author: Sylvester Turner of Houston.
Relates to the creation of certain offenses concerning gun shows. Describes a gun show to include driveway, sidewalk and parking lot. Requires compliance with
NICS system or a CHL. A person commits a class A misdemeanor if they permit a gun show to be held on property they own without providing technology necessary
to connect to NICS system and allows for a fee to be charged for NICS.
Click to expand...

This one is interesting. It holds the person who owns the property where the gun show is held responsible if they don't provide NICS accessibility instead of the promoter. Good excuse for many city governments to get around state preemption laws by refusing to provide this ability to those who want to rent public facilities.

Text of Bill:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/cgi-...&BILLTYPE=B&BILLSUFFIX=00635&VERSION=1&TYPE=B


[Edited by Bartholomew Roberts on 01-17-2001 at 04:42 PM]
 
Thank you all for helping. During the last session, many battles were fought in front of the legislature and behind the scenes. Many Texans don't realize how strong the effort was to legislate public and private ranges out of existence.
We didn't "nearly lose" or anything, but "they" were much more "powerful" than originally expected. This latest threat is serious because on the surface, it appears "reasonable." We must all continue our efforts to oppose it. Again, I sure thank all of you who're helping.

Best to all.
 
Important news all! House Speaker Pete Laney has altered the makeup of the Criminal Jurisprudence committee that will hear the proposed new gun control laws. Last session, the committee was 5-4 in favor of Republicans. This session it will be 6-3 in favor of the Democrats.

Its a fact that many Texas Democrats support the RKBA; but with the change in the committee, the chances that new gun control laws will make the floor is increased. PLEASE give your legislators a call and let them know you oppose these bills.

The story on the committee change is below:
http://www.dallasnews.com/texas_southwest/266050_gallery_19tex..html
 
Folks

Don't under estimate the power of the MMMer's..... just because it hasn't passed before , now is NO time to be careless......... I'm sure the texas reps are hearing from them just as our ga reps are, they NEED to keep hearing from you, no matter how "unlikely" it seems that a bill wil pass or not pass.....

Give 'em hell Texans :D from a fellow (misplaced) Native Texan :cool:
 
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