SB730 - Emloyer parking lot bill being debated now

[Keith B]

This question is for Charles or someone in the know.

Now that this is in the house, who/what needs to be done to get it up for vote? Does it have a drop dead date like the ones that are in committee??

This bill is very important to me (and many others) so want to see it passed since it have had nothing but unanimous support so far.

Thanks!

SB730 was voted favorably from the House Public Safety Committee, as substituted. It's now on its way to the House Calendars Committee. It is not subject to the May 11th deadline, since it passed its body of origin (Senate). This bill is highly controversial, but it should be okay.

The campus-carry bill, however, is far from okay. Someone on the Calendars Committee is holding it up and it could well die without even getting a vote. That's a travesty in view of the number of co-authors that bill has.

Chas.

Thanks Charles, I really hope they both pass. McCall is Chair of Calendars and is my Rep. I will see if I can get some information.

[KC5AV]

This question is for Charles or someone in the know.

Now that this is in the house, who/what needs to be done to get it up for vote? Does it have a drop dead date like the ones that are in committee??

This bill is very important to me (and many others) so want to see it passed since it have had nothing but unanimous support so far.

Thanks!

SB730 was voted favorably from the House Public Safety Committee, as substituted. It's now on its way to the House Calendars Committee. It is not subject to the May 11th deadline, since it passed its body of origin (Senate). This bill is highly controversial, but it should be okay.

The campus-carry bill, however, is far from okay. Someone on the Calendars Committee is holding it up and it could well die without even getting a vote. That's a travesty in view of the number of co-authors that bill has.

Chas.

Do we know who the someone is, and if they might benefit from a little pressure?

[CompVest]

This question is for Charles or someone in the know.

Now that this is in the house, who/what needs to be done to get it up for vote? Does it have a drop dead date like the ones that are in committee??

This bill is very important to me (and many others) so want to see it passed since it have had nothing but unanimous support so far.

Thanks!

SB730 was voted favorably from the House Public Safety Committee, as substituted. It's now on its way to the House Calendars Committee. It is not subject to the May 11th deadline, since it passed its body of origin (Senate). This bill is highly controversial, but it should be okay.

The campus-carry bill, however, is far from okay. Someone on the Calendars Committee is holding it up and it could well die without even getting a vote. That's a travesty in view of the number of co-authors that bill has.

Chas.

Charles is there anything we can do to help this? Is there anyone we need to put pressure on?

[TexasComputerDude]

I volunteer to skip class today to apply pressure.

just get me a number and I'll call

[Charles L. Cotton]

This question is for Charles or someone in the know.

Now that this is in the house, who/what needs to be done to get it up for vote? Does it have a drop dead date like the ones that are in committee??

This bill is very important to me (and many others) so want to see it passed since it have had nothing but unanimous support so far.

Thanks!

SB730 was voted favorably from the House Public Safety Committee, as substituted. It's now on its way to the House Calendars Committee. It is not subject to the May 11th deadline, since it passed its body of origin (Senate). This bill is highly controversial, but it should be okay.

The campus-carry bill, however, is far from okay. Someone on the Calendars Committee is holding it up and it could well die without even getting a vote. That's a travesty in view of the number of co-authors that bill has.

Chas.

Do we know who the someone is, and if they might benefit from a little pressure?

No, we don't know and that's the problem. This is the classic way to kill a bill in the House and protect people from having to vote on it. This is exactly what happened last session with the parking lot bill. The Calendar Committee set it for floor debate so late that it had no chance of being debated before time ran out. It absolutely was intentional and it died on the House floor along with 170 bills.

Chas.

[Charles L. Cotton]

This question is for Charles or someone in the know.

Now that this is in the house, who/what needs to be done to get it up for vote? Does it have a drop dead date like the ones that are in committee??

This bill is very important to me (and many others) so want to see it passed since it have had nothing but unanimous support so far.

Thanks!

SB730 was voted favorably from the House Public Safety Committee, as substituted. It's now on its way to the House Calendars Committee. It is not subject to the May 11th deadline, since it passed its body of origin (Senate). This bill is highly controversial, but it should be okay.

The campus-carry bill, however, is far from okay. Someone on the Calendars Committee is holding it up and it could well die without even getting a vote. That's a travesty in view of the number of co-authors that bill has.

Chas.

Charles is there anything we can do to help this? Is there anyone we need to put pressure on?

Start flooding every member of the House Calendars Committee with calls and faxes telling them to set HB1893 for floor debate, and don't wait so late that time will run out. Next Monday is the deadline!

Chas.

[cowboymd]

This question is for Charles or someone in the know.

Now that this is in the house, who/what needs to be done to get it up for vote? Does it have a drop dead date like the ones that are in committee??

This bill is very important to me (and many others) so want to see it passed since it have had nothing but unanimous support so far.

Thanks!

SB730 was voted favorably from the House Public Safety Committee, as substituted. It's now on its way to the House Calendars Committee. It is not subject to the May 11th deadline, since it passed its body of origin (Senate). This bill is highly controversial, but it should be okay.

The campus-carry bill, however, is far from okay. Someone on the Calendars Committee is holding it up and it could well die without even getting a vote. That's a travesty in view of the number of co-authors that bill has.

Chas.

Charles is there anything we can do to help this? Is there anyone we need to put pressure on?

Start flooding every member of the House Calendars Committee with calls and faxes telling them to set HB1893 for floor debate, and don't wait so late that time will run out. Next Monday is the deadline!

Chas.

Do you or anyone know which one or ones specific might be holding it up?

[Keith B]

I called the Calenders Committee office and respectfully asked that Chairman McCall push his committee members hard to vote HB1893 out quickly so it can make it to the floor this session. I also made sure they were totally clear I was one of his constituents and had a great interest in seeing this fine piece of legislation passed, and that I would relish his support in pushing the others (a nice way of saying 'If you would like my vote in the future, I expect your help.)

EDIT TO ADD: I have left a message for Representative McCall to call me. He was supposedly on the floor when I called. He is not listed as a co-author, so I am not sure of his position on this bill. If he returns the call, I will see if I can get some information on his position and his thoughts on it getting out of committee.

[tllstaco]

I work in a chemical plant and I am furious about the addition of the exemption for companies that file an RMP. It's the stupidist thing I have ever heard. We handle chemicals and processes that can kill thousands if not done properly, yet our employers feel they can't trust us to keep a pistol in our vehicle so we can protect ourselves. Very sad state we are in.

[RandyM]

Looks like Big Oil got to the Legislators.
What happened to the people being represented instead of special intrest groups/companies?
I work in Houston (for a chemical company) where a large majority of the CHL's that were prohibited from having their handgun on employers property, will still be prohibited.
Whats worse, now the law is on the employers side.
Its time for a change.

[tllstaco]

Is there anything we can do to get the amendment that exempts the companies that file RiskManagement Plans from SB730?

[Keith B]

Is there anything we can do to get the amendment that exempts the companies that file RiskManagement Plans from SB730?

I don't think once it is amended by committee or the house/senate, that you can get the amendment rescinded. As far as I know we just need to get them to support it with no more modifications. Hopefully once they see it is not a problem, then they can go back in the next session and request the exemptions be removed.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Looks like Big Oil got to the Legislators.
What happened to the people being represented instead of special intrest groups/companies?
I work in Houston (for a chemical company) where a large majority of the CHL's that were prohibited from having their handgun on employers property, will still be prohibited.
Whats worse, now the law is on the employers side.
Its time for a change.

No one is happy about this amendment, other than the part of the petrochemical industry that will come within the scope of it. However, without the amendment, the bill was going to die in the House Public Safety Committee. We'll just have to try to remove that restriction in 2011.

As for the law now being on the employers' side, it has been that way since 1995. SB730 gives employers no more authority to ban firearms.

Chas.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Is there anything we can do to get the amendment that exempts the companies that file RiskManagement Plans from SB730?

Realistically no. While a floor amendment could be offered when the bill is debated/voted on the House floor, it would be defeated. If it wasn't defeated, the Bill's House sponsor would "pull it down" which effectively kills the bill.

Chas.

[CWOOD]

Charles, I would be very interested in your comments on the how SB730 is positioned at this time. I realize that your crystal ball may not be fully operational, but perhaps come general comments.

To everyone else, as for the 'win' for the petrochemical industry, as Charles has indicated, they really didn't win anything except a bit more time. However, all of the other business entities ARE set up to lose a bit (if this eventually becomes law) relative to their desires and current postiton. Certainly it is a disappointment to those of us in those industries who got their hopes up, but all is not lost.

In the entire history of CHL legislation we have not progressed in a straight line. Remember at first we could not carry in church, in hospitals, at governmental meetings, at amusement parks. Then later we prevailed and now we can. Remember how the "traveling" exception would get interpreted differently in every judicial jurisdiction. One county you were legal and the next you were a potential felon. Attempts, somewhat timid in my view, were made to correct it, unsuccessfully. Finally, it was the overreaching of our opponents who finally caused this to be corrected in no uncertain terms. Remember in the last session, the Castle Doctrine went through some revisions that concerned us, before it was finally passed.

I believe that if we get this version passed this year, it will be a giant leap forward for all of us who wish to make use of the provisions of SB730. Some of us immediately, some of us later after everyone learns that it becomes a non-issue when law abiding citizens continue to be law abiding citizens in the workplace.

If we are to be successful, it is largely up to us to do our part. We should continue to be good citizens and good ambassadors. We should heed the calls to action from Charles and others to support those who favor our position and to voice our disfavor to those who do not, and try to persuade them. If we fail this session, the preceeding two sentences should still be in effect, perhaps with more vigor.

If HB1893 and SB730 do not pass this session, I would challenge all of those here who did not call every member of Calendars committee last week after Charles' urgent message, to remain silent regarding complaints about these issues for one year. It is kind of like voting, if you didn't, I am not interested in your complaints that you didn't like what you got.

I believe that most of us on this forum have earned our right to complain and will fully exercise our rights as required, but this effort will take more that just "most of us" here. We really need ALL of us here and a lot of us who haven't found this forum yet.

Be of good cheer. We are still better off than 99 percent of the worlds population, and getting better. It ain't all bad.

Please remain seated while I step down off of the soapbox now. Sorry to be such a blowhard.