The exception that guts the rule

[Luggo1]

I live in the turf of Senator Robert Duncan. I don't care for him, I'll be up front about that from the start.

In 2009, Duncan, per his very pleasant staffer, (he won't talk to me) advised that he was opposed to both the parking lot bill and campus carry. I wasn't surprised. Duncan is welded at the hip to Texas Tech University, he does their bidding above all others. Duncan offered the usual blather about his opposition to guns in academia, "kids" with guns, the usual ignorant tripe.

This year, Duncan, per his very pleasant staffer (still too busy to talk or email himself-he is much too busy working for Tech's Tier 1 status) is supporting the parking lot bill (I'm shocked), but I'd like to see the vote. Perhaps he sees the train coming this time around.

As to campus carry, Duncan has nuanced his position on campus carry. The staffer begins with the usual recitation of "he's a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment...." BUT. I'm sure most of you who have corresponded with elected officials have seen the same verbiage, it basically means to me, "I'm paying you lip service and hope you aren't smart enough to see through my bull..."

I digress, so Duncan's aide says "Senator Duncan still believes it should be up to the Board of Regents at individual university campuses to decide if they want "campus carry"." This was not his position in 2009, (he had all of the usual wild-west, Virginia Tech nonsense) so perhaps this is progress? Well not really. I followed up and asked "Since campus carry is illegal currently regardless of the position of the Regents...does he support the bill or not?"

The response: "Senator Duncan's position on campus carry is that he is a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. He would agree to carrying on campus as long as the decision is left up to the Board of Regents. That caveat is very important to him."

So to me, that is the exception that guts the rule. I don't claim to have the pulse of the BoR of every university in Texas, but I doubt the board of regents would approve campus carry in many places. Duncan gets to claim he's for campus carry, knowing full well his handlers at Texas Tech would never approve it. It also provides him an out to vote no, because my reading of the bill is that it is non-discretionary.

I have been unable to locate Duncan's most recent TSRA grade.... He reeks of the recently deposed Delwyn Jones, state rep from Lubbock, who was perhaps the most deceitful faux-friend gun rights ever had in Texas. Alice Tripp wrote of her most amusing conversation with Delwyn in the magazine sometime last year.

Am I being too harsh on Duncan?

[Owens]

Nope. Think you went milder on him than I would have.
Hes not held in very high esteem in my book.

[Luggo1]

I haven't decided what to say back to the last response, perhaps nothing more than "I see through the ploy..."

[74novaman]

What he's saying is he supports the status quo. If it was going to be enacted by regents it would have been by now. If he can't be honest about opposing campus carry I would remind him and his constituents of his character often

[baldeagle]

The response: "Senator Duncan's position on campus carry is that he is a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. He would agree to carrying on campus as long as the decision is left up to the Board of Regents. That caveat is very important to him."

The regents can allow campus carry now. All it takes is a stroke of the pen.

Sec. 46.03. PLACES WEAPONS PROHIBITED. (a) A person commits an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly possesses or goes with a firearm, illegal knife, club, or prohibited weapon listed in Section 46.05(a):

(1) on the physical premises of a school or educational institution, any grounds or building on which an activity sponsored by a school or educational institution is being conducted, or a passenger transportation vehicle of a school or educational institution, whether the school or educational institution is public or private, unless pursuant to written regulations or written authorization of the institution;

Duncan certainly knows that, so he's spewing smoke and mirrors. I would ask the following: Since the regents already have the ability to authorize campus carry per Penal Code 46.03 (1) and none have, does Senator Duncan really support the 2nd Amendment? Or is he just trying to placate me so I'll go away and leave him alone? Because clearly the regents don't support the 2nd Amendment, and Senator Duncan either supports them or the 2nd Amendment. Which is it?

[Charles L. Cotton]

The Campus Carry Bill went to Senator Whitmire's Committee this session, rather than Senator Duncan's. That was no accident. Thank you Lt. Gov. Dewhurst! In fairness to Sen. Duncan, he has a pro-gun track record, but he's dead wrong on campus-carry. Senator Wentworth and Senator Deuell showed great courage last session bucking Chairman Duncan and ramming the campus-carry through the committee and ultimately to passage in the Senate.

Chas.

[RHenriksen]

The Campus Carry Bill went to Senator Whitmire's Committee this session, rather than Senator Duncan's. That was no accident. Thank you Lt. Gov. Dewhurst! In fairness to Sen. Duncan, he has a pro-gun track record, but he's dead wrong on campus-carry. Senator Wentworth and Senator Deuell showed great courage last session bucking Chairman Duncan and ramming the campus-carry through the committee and ultimately to passage in the Senate.

Chas.

Great news

[shootthesheet]

The Campus Carry Bill went to Senator Whitmire's Committee this session, rather than Senator Duncan's. That was no accident. Thank you Lt. Gov. Dewhurst! In fairness to Sen. Duncan, he has a pro-gun track record, but he's dead wrong on campus-carry. Senator Wentworth and Senator Deuell showed great courage last session bucking Chairman Duncan and ramming the campus-carry through the committee and ultimately to passage in the Senate.

Chas.

Thank you Mr. Cotton and I do think Lt. Gov. Dewhurst as well.

I have let out my thoughts concerning Senator Duncan since he did what he did in 2009. I said then that I will actively campaign against him if he does not support this bill. To me if he will not support a given like Campus Carry he is no where near a true supporter of Second Amendment rights. CHL improvement bills are less than a minimum I expect an elected servant to support.

So, I am looking at what he is doing and will actively campaign against him if I must. Maybe I can't influence more than a 100 or so people to encourage a true conservative Second Amendment supporter to run against him. If I can get even some number of that 100 people to actively encourage his downfall and they can do the same we can replace him. I don't know him or if he is as much as a power hungry sellout as he seems to be by his actions. I am both concerned about his votes and positions that would influence other law makers to his way of thinking. If I know he is opposing any CHL improvement bill I will vote against him even if the TSRA or Republicans do not have someone to challenge him. We are no worse off having a Democrat, influenced by anti-gun people, doing exactly what Senator Duncan is doing.

[Charles L. Cotton]

The Campus Carry Bill went to Senator Whitmire's Committee this session, rather than Senator Duncan's. That was no accident. Thank you Lt. Gov. Dewhurst! In fairness to Sen. Duncan, he has a pro-gun track record, but he's dead wrong on campus-carry. Senator Wentworth and Senator Deuell showed great courage last session bucking Chairman Duncan and ramming the campus-carry through the committee and ultimately to passage in the Senate.

Chas.

Thank you Mr. Cotton and I do think Lt. Gov. Dewhurst as well.

I have let out my thoughts concerning Senator Duncan since he did what he did in 2009. I said then that I will actively campaign against him if he does not support this bill. To me if he will not support a given like Campus Carry he is no where near a true supporter of Second Amendment rights. CHL improvement bills are less than a minimum I expect an elected servant to support.

So, I am looking at what he is doing and will actively campaign against him if I must. Maybe I can't influence more than a 100 or so people to encourage a true conservative Second Amendment supporter to run against him. If I can get even some number of that 100 people to actively encourage his downfall and they can do the same we can replace him. I don't know him or if he is as much as a power hungry sellout as he seems to be by his actions. I am both concerned about his votes and positions that would influence other law makers to his way of thinking. If I know he is opposing any CHL improvement bill I will vote against him even if the TSRA or Republicans do not have someone to challenge him. We are no worse off having a Democrat, influenced by anti-gun people, doing exactly what Senator Duncan is doing.

I understand how you feel, but we are much worse off with an anti-gun Democrat than with Sen. Duncan. Duncan is pro-gun, he's just not with us on campus-carry.

Chas.