TexasCHLforum.com

From Drudgereport.com:

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650198346,00.html

Looks like that's a step in the right direction

That is very cool. Maybe this whole idea will gain some momentum.

Texas could learn something here. You can in Colorado as well. Columbine changed their thinking.

Roger Howard wrote:You can in Colorado as well. Columbine changed their thinking.

Actually, school carry in Colorado used to be legal (aside from GFSZA), until they passed their statewide must-issue system. This was post-Columbine, and they had to give up school carry to get must-issue.

18-12-214. Authority granted by permit - carrying restrictions.
(1) (a) A permit to carry a concealed handgun authorizes the permittee to carry a concealed handgun in all areas of the state, except as specifically limited in this section. ( . . . )

(3) A permit issued pursuant to this part 2 does not authorize a person to carry a concealed handgun onto the real property, or into any improvements erected thereon, of a public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school; except that:
(a) A permittee may have a handgun on the real property of the public school so long as the handgun remains in his or her vehicle and, if the permittee is not in the vehicle, the handgun is in a compartment within the vehicle and the vehicle is locked.
(b) A permittee who is employed or retained by contract by a school district as a school security officer may carry a concealed handgun onto the real property, or into any improvement erected thereon, of a public elementary, middle, junior high, or high school while the permittee is on duty.
(c) A permittee may carry a concealed handgun on undeveloped real property owned by a school district that is used for hunting or other shooting sports.

Kevin

I stand corrected. Thats why I love this forum. so much information

As a teacher, I would love the option of being able to carry my weapon concealed. I would never want the students to know I had it. I probably wouldn't tell anyone but my principal and the LEO.

Venus Pax wrote:As a teacher, I would love the option of being able to carry my weapon concealed. I would never want the students to know I had it. I probably wouldn't tell anyone but my principal and the LEO.

I wouldn't tell the principle (unless required by law) and the LEO only when ID'd. IMO

That might not be a bad idea.
If I did get the right, I should keep it to myself anyway.
LEO knows I have a CHL, since he and I talk about guns and CHL from time to time.
No one knows I keep it in my car while I'm at school. I'm afraid I might be told I can't have it.

I'll be attending a gun show at the Four States Fairgrounds in Texarkana this weekend. The fairgrounds are on the Arkansas side of town, but I won't be surprised if our local Texas state representative (Stephen Frost) shows up. He is a freshman, after the big redistricting. He usually attends the Friends of the the NRA banquet, held in the same venue.

Frost is a Democrat with an A+ rating from TSRA, and his family are all educators. If I get the chance to buttonhole him, I'm going to tell him that I can't remember the last time I voted for a Democrat, but I'll not only vote for him, I'll campaign for him if he will work to eliminate the undefined "schools" as places off-limits for legal concealed carry.

We really shouldn't be taking second place to Utah in this regard.

Kevin

KBCraig wrote:We really shouldn't be taking second place to Utah in this regard.Kevin

Just posted an email to my state rep:

Rep. Frost:

If you attend the gun show at the Texarkana Four States Fairgrounds this weekend (October 14-15), I hope to speak with you in person. If not, I welcome your response by email or telephone.

I know that you have an A+ rating from the Texas State Rifle Association. I also know you come from a family of educators in Cass County. Given those two facts, I hope you would be willing to champion a change to the Texas penal code, which would fully decriminalize otherwise-legal concealed carry in schools or on school grounds. (Note the "legal" emphasis: I have no problem with "school grounds" being a charge enhancer for UCW (Unlawfully Carrying a Weapon) charges.

Since Texas conducts a background check on all Concealed Handgun Licensees, CHLs are exempt from the federal "Gun-Free School Zones Act". If Texas modified the Penal Code to allow legal carry in schools, there would be no federal impediment.

I'm sure that you consider your close family members to be trustworthy to legally carry concealed firearms in Texas, even at their jobs in public schools. I ask that you extend the same trust to all teachers, employees, and administrators of all Texas schools, by eliminating the restrictions in PC 46.03(a)(1).

There are multiple sections of the Penal Code affected by such a change. I would be glad to work with you to research and propose such changes as are needed. Please contact me if you would like my input.

Thank you for your time.

Kevin Craig

Roger Howard wrote:Texas could learn something here.

???? You can carry in TX 'with written permission from the school'.

I have not been successful in obtaining said written permission, but the provision is there.

Getting written permission from the school is next to impossible. Lawsuits are everywhere in public schools, and no administrator is going to want to touch that with a ten foot pole.
I have not said a word to my principal or my LEO that I have a gun locked up in my vehicle. I don't intend to do so. They may be obligated to tell me not to carry it, despite knowing that I am of good character and wouldn't purposely harm my students (unless said students chose to run at me with a gun or knife).

It would be great if we can get some common sense law going, instead of knee-jerk, feel-good laws that we have now.
Quick question, how is one going to get by a metal detector that some schools have, without a big scene? Once the officer or security guard stops you, and you show your CHL, anybody around you now knows your carring.

Dan

Phddan,

I would expect that if carry in schools was made legal for teachers, administrators, etc, they could circumvent the metal detectors the same way LEO, prosecutors, and judges are able to circumvent the metal detectors in courthouses.

If parents or any other CHL wanted to carry in schools when legal, those providing security should be well trained to discreetly acknowledge a CHL when shown proper "ID" when passing through metal detectors.

You don't hear LEO at metal detectors screaming out "You have a gun" when another LEO enters the courthouse and flashes his ID at the metal detectors.

One of my fantasies is that one day the uninformed sheeple of the world get over the sight of a firearm or even stop being surprised if they discover someone is packing. Packing should be the norm, not the exception.

To be honest, our sons have been out of school for quite a few years, and their schools never had wands or metal detectors, so I can not relate. Just in my knowledge of how things work in general, you can't actually tell me that everywhere there are metal detectors and other security in place, stuff does not slip by and everyone is checked. Life is not that absolute.

Great discussion. I too hope some good develops to counter this cancer in our society. Schools must be safe. The trouble is that parents must start parenting.

Anygun.