Shots fired at Capitol in Austin

[Charles L. Cotton]

This mornings paper (Austin) has an article about this and in the article the Gov. states something along the lines that the last thing he wants is to turn the capitol into DFW airport with airport like checkpoints. He also said we have enough people in Texas with CHL's to deter violent criminals and that they (CHL holders) keeps us all safer. Good for him.

Heard that as well...But its a campaign season...I'm sure KBH, and Debra Medina will do their best to get their opinion in on this...Be watchful folks...

Within hours of the Virginia Tech massacre, Gov. Perry publicly called for a change in Texas law to allow Texas CHL's to carry there guns everywhere in the state. I don't recall any other elected official saying that. I also reconfirmed his position on this issue on Friday before we held a press conference at TSRA HQ in Austin on our endorsement.

Chas.

[stevie_d_64]

This mornings paper (Austin) has an article about this and in the article the Gov. states something along the lines that the last thing he wants is to turn the capitol into DFW airport with airport like checkpoints. He also said we have enough people in Texas with CHL's to deter violent criminals and that they (CHL holders) keeps us all safer. Good for him.

Heard that as well...But its a campaign season...I'm sure KBH, and Debra Medina will do their best to get their opinion in on this...Be watchful folks...

Within hours of the Virginia Tech massacre, Gov. Perry publicly called for a change in Texas law to allow Texas CHL's to carry there guns everywhere in the state. I don't recall any other elected official saying that. I also reconfirmed his position on this issue on Friday before we held a press conference at TSRA HQ in Austin on our endorsement.

Chas.

That is true, I remember that, and felt assured there would not be a knee-jerk reaction to that incident...He led the way on that...

But this is what I found just this morning...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 30934.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Needless to say I am dissapointed at how many elected officials we assumed were solid on this are caving...But that is just what I see...

[KD5NRH]

Needless to say I am dissapointed at how many elected officials we assumed were solid on this are caving...But that is just what I see...

Good time to write to them and make sure they know how you feel.

[srothstein]

Within hours of the Virginia Tech massacre, Gov. Perry publicly called for a change in Texas law to allow Texas CHL's to carry there guns everywhere in the state. I don't recall any other elected official saying that. I also reconfirmed his position on this issue on Friday before we held a press conference at TSRA HQ in Austin on our endorsement.

That would be grounds for me to endorse him too, especially if I were a single issue organization like TSRA. In one article I read, he also stated he has his CHL. That should go a long way towards proof of his bonafides in this area, if there was any doubt. Debra Medina was photographed carrying her gun in her car under the MPA, which counts too, but getting the CHL is just that one extra step to me.

I wanted to point out that I agree with Charles on the topic of endorsing in a close election. In an election where there is one pro-gun and one anti-gun, we really do not need TSRA's endorsement to help us decide. It is when there are two good candidates that some of us may need the help deciding.

And it does put the TSRA in a very precarious position. Both KBH and Perry are our friends for the most part. When we have two supporters running, we can either chicken out of endorsing or pick one. When we pick one, we risk alienating the other. This is especially true in a case like this one. If we endorse Perry and he wins, KBH is still in office as senator. We do not want to irritate her. But if we endorse her and Perry wins, he is still in office as governor and we do not want to alienate him. But if we do not endorse either, then they will know that our endorsements mean nothing and neither will work with us as well in the future. The good news on this is that I have to admire the TSRA officers for making their choice and not waiting until the race was decided. I htink Hutchison and Medina will both understand the logic used in picking one and doing it now. If they did not understand, they were not going to work with us in the long run anyway as they are just looking for politically acceptable bribes and you can't trust those kind of people in the long term.

[mr surveyor]

that was well tought out

[Kinetic]

Republican Senator Dan Patrick stated that we need to revisit the security and screening of visitors to the capitol, including the use of searches, metal detectors, additional security personnel, etc etc etc...

I don't know if a revision of security would have done any good in this case. Wasn't the guy shooting a rifle? I thought I saw one news account that he was.

Somebody, please correct me if I'm in error.

Revised security issues for the capitol building would not have done any good in this case because the shooter was outside of the building. And as far as that goes, unless they post 24/7 guards around the building grounds, there is no way to stop a lunatic from pulling up, hopping out with his AR, and start firing rounds at whatever he wants. No legislation can effectively prevent this type of thing from happening. Unfortunately, every time some wack job does something like this, they go after the rights of law abiding citizens. Ineffective to say the least. As someone else mentioned, I hope he is not a CHL.

[wgoforth]

[/quote] As someone else mentioned, I hope he is not a CHL.[/quote]

Newspapers have already stated that he was not a CHL

[Kinetic]

I am glad to hear he did not have a CHL. That would have been one more rock to throw at law abiding CHL holders. Perry is da man. He is Pro CHL and will get my vote in November.

[KD5NRH]

If you feel that strongly about it...Arm your staff, and keep it quiet...

My Representative and Senator should be getting my letters shortly recommending that they guide their colleagues toward such a personal-responsibility-based security measure that would not impose upon law abiding citizens or out-of-state guests wishing to visit our Capitol.

[joe817]

The court date has been set for this lunatic:

http://www.kvue.com/news/local/Court-da ... 40187.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This will be an interesting story to follow.

[stash]

There is an article in this mornings Austin newspaper that indicates that security checkpoints at Capitol entrances could be on the way. One possible sticking point was how to allow Texans with CHL's to get through security with their guns. It indicated that the Gov., Lt. Gov. and Speaker probably will make the final decision.

[KD5NRH]

There is an article in this mornings Austin newspaper that indicates that security checkpoints at Capitol entrances could be on the way. One possible sticking point was how to allow Texans with CHL's to get through security with their guns. It indicated that the Gov., Lt. Gov. and Speaker probably will make the final decision.

http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.ltgov.state.tx.us/contact.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/em ... joe.straus" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you prefer paper:

Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst
Capitol Station
P.O. Box 12068
Austin, Texas 78711

Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Joe Strauss
7373 Broadway,
Suite 202-A
San Antonio, TX 78209

If you prefer phone:
Governor's Office citizens' opinion line:
(800) 252-9600

Lieutenant Governor's Office:
512 463-0001

Speaker' District Office:
(210) 828-4411

[marksiwel]

I might be in the area of the Capital in the next week or so. I'll bring a camera and see if I see an increase in security. Will I be carrying? Heck yeah, there was a shooting there last week, why should I go unarmed. I'm even going to go into the capital itself, because I can

[chabouk]

There is an article in this mornings Austin newspaper that indicates that security checkpoints at Capitol entrances could be on the way. One possible sticking point was how to allow Texans with CHL's to get through security with their guns. It indicated that the Gov., Lt. Gov. and Speaker probably will make the final decision.

Sounds like it could turn into the State Fair mess, or Houston City Hall.

[KD5NRH]

Almost forgot, if the above aren't hip and high-tech enough for you:

http://twitter.com/TexGov" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://twitter.com/dewhurst4texas" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.facebook.com/GovernorPerry" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.facebook.com/dewhurstfortexas" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;