School Zone Carry Petition

[Elotemuygrande]

Is there any significant petition effort regarding legalizing CHL carry onto University grounds? Or do federal laws prevent this from being legal in Texas?

I plan to attend TSU San Marcos in the Spring and if there something that I could urge students to sign for the legislature I certainly would try to get support. I don't want to leave my gun at home in Austin when I go the TSU and I don't want to be on the receiving end of another VT shooting!

[txmatt]

You might want to check these guys out: http://concealedcampus.org/. I haven't seen a petition per se, but they have quite a few people in their organization. You might could contact the rep for Texas State and see what they are doing there about it, and maybe you can help get something going. As far as I know CHL carry on campus is up to the state and the school; I don't think the federal government has any say about it.

[Charles L. Cotton]

I don't know much about concealedcampus.org, but as txmatt said, you should check them out. It will be helpful in 2009 to have a strong student support base in place, hopefully with email and telephone trees established. I have a domain name registered that will become active at the appropriate time, but it will be in addition to the efforts of student groups, not as a substitute or replacement. My website will be directed to the . . . well, I guess I'd better shut up now. Sorry Sarah, no tips today!

Chas.

[seamusTX]

Is there any significant petition effort regarding legalizing CHL carry onto University grounds? Or do federal laws prevent this from being legal in Texas?

School administrators can give permission for anyone or everyone to carry on campus.

Good luck with that.

(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;

- Jim

[Elotemuygrande]

Great info guys and very much appreciated! I just emailed the concealedcarry.org student rep for TSU to see what they have going. I'm totally ignorant of state government, but I'll see what state legislators that I might be able to contact as well.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Great info guys and very much appreciated! I just emailed the concealedcarry.org student rep for TSU to see what they have going. I'm totally ignorant of state government, but I'll see what state legislators that I might be able to contact as well.

I appreciate your interest and your commitment. Let us know what you learn about TSU's involvement.

I would hold off contacting any state reps at this point There are some things in the works now and the timing of our contacts to elected officials is important. That's all I can say for now.

Chas.

[txmatt]

School administrators can give permission for anyone or everyone to carry on campus.

Good luck with that.

As it has been pointed out elsewhere, they never will, especially at a public university, due at least in part to liability concerns- which unfortunately are likely well justified in today's litigation-crazed society. The solution is to have the state congress change the law and mandate that all public universities allow CHL carry. I don't see why this cannot be accomplished in Texas.

[txinvestigator]

Is there any significant petition effort regarding legalizing CHL carry onto University grounds?

You can carry on the "grounds" now. You just can't carry into the buildings.

FWIW, I support allowing carry into buildings.

[Elotemuygrande]

Great info guys and very much appreciated! I just emailed the concealedcarry.org student rep for TSU to see what they have going. I'm totally ignorant of state government, but I'll see what state legislators that I might be able to contact as well.

I appreciate your interest and your commitment. Let us know what you learn about TSU's involvement.

I would hold off contacting any state reps at this point There are some things in the works now and the timing of our contacts to elected officials is important. That's all I can say for now.

Chas.

OK I'll stick with contacting the folks around TSU for now. I did contact the student rep for concealedcarry.org and this is what he had to say(I don't think there is anything here that he would not be proud of)

Thank you for your interest. Current law actually allows us to carry on campus but not into any buildings. Kind of pointless. You are also permitted to leave your firearm in the car in the parking lots or garages so you won't have to leave it at home. So far I have organized everyone through word of mouth, email and facebook. I may have an actual meeting sometime early next semester.

I drafted legislation for the Associated Student Governemnt to overturn the gun-free zone. Its non-binding as it is state law that is barring us. Its purpose is to send a message to the politicians in Austin that the student body is behind the change in law. The ASG declined to vote on the bill and instead sent it to referendum which we'll vote on in the spring. The main thing I'll need from everyone next semester is to help get out the vote. I'll be calling various officials that have authority and knowledge on CHL laws to come speak to help win votes.

It is extremely important that we pass this legislation. It will give us a great tool to use when we go to our state senators to try and get the law changed. I've already spoken to our state senator Jeff Wentworth of district 25 and he's completely behind us but we still have quite a bit of work to do.

The best way to stay up to date is to join the facebook group Concealed Campus - Texas State University. Even if you aren't on facebook just create a blank profile and join the group so that you'll get the mass emails I send out. Thank you for wanting to fight for your right of self-defense. If you ever have any questions, comments or concerns feel free to email me anytime.

[Elotemuygrande]

Is there any significant petition effort regarding legalizing CHL carry onto University grounds?

You can carry on the "grounds" now. You just can't carry into the buildings.

FWIW, I support allowing carry into buildings.

I also believe that carry into buildings is appropriate. What I was told in CHL class is that it was OK to have a handgun in your car or outside the buildings. The problem in my head is that when they were saying that, they were saying that in the context of dropping your kids off to school IOW you would just be passing through and the gun would always be in your posession. I was talking to a gun shop owner the other day that also teaches CHL classes and he said that although state law says it's OK to leave the gun in your car it is a federal crime to leave it unattended in a school zone?

[txinvestigator]

Is there any significant petition effort regarding legalizing CHL carry onto University grounds?

You can carry on the "grounds" now. You just can't carry into the buildings.

FWIW, I support allowing carry into buildings.

I was talking to a gun shop owner the other day that also teaches CHL classes and he said that although state law says it's OK to leave the gun in your car it is a federal crime to leave it unattended in a school zone?

I would have to see that law. There is a federal law that makes possession illegal on a federal level if you do not have a CHL.