Texas Open Carry Letter to reps!

[mp45fan]

I sent mine in today. Thought I would put this out for everyone else in Texas. Mods if this is not in right place, please remove.


Dear Online Texas Open Carry Petition Signer:

My name is Ian McCarthy, Petition Founder, and Chair of the Texas Open carry Working Group. Thank you for signing the petition to restore our open carry rights!

Our effort is bearing fruit as Governor Perry has said he will sign an open carry bill if the legislature passes it. But unfortunately, no legislator has yet stepped forward to sponsor such a bill.

Unless an open carry bill is drafted and sponsored by a legislator in the next few weeks, there will be no bill for Governor Perry to sign! Let's work together and let the Texas Legislature know we want action on open carry rights restoration!

If you live, work, or go to school in Texas, now is the time to contact your state representative and senator and ask them to sponsor an open carry bill!

Please act on these 2 ACTION ITEMS now.

Ian McCarthy

The Open Carry Working Group
--

Action Item 1: Email your STATE (not U.S.) Representative

Find your State Representative at Who Represents Me--Home, then go to his/her web page, and send a web form email.

Suggested Message

SUBJECT: Please sponsor legislation to restore open carry rights in Texas!

Dear Representative:

I ask you to sponsor legislation to restore the right of Texans to open carry holstered handguns. A draft of such a bill can be found at OpenCarry.org's Open Carry Rights Restoration Bill for the 2009 Texas Legislature - Texas - Stories From The States - OpenCarry.org - Discussion Forum.

The facts are pretty stark - Texas is one of only 6 states banning the open carry of handguns. Of the 44 states which allow the open carry of handguns, only 14 states require any license to open carry. See map at OpenCarry.org - A Right Unexercised is a Right Lost!.

And despite the widespread open carry rights outside of Texas, a recent FBI study that essentially says that bad guys don't open carry. See Anthony Pinizzotto, et al., Violent Encounters: A Study of Felonious Assaults on Our Nation's Law Enforcement Officers, FBI (2006) (finding that violent criminals carefully conceal their guns and eschew holsters), summary available at
Force Science News

It's no wonder then that over 46,000 Texans have signed an online petition at Open Carry of Handguns in Texas Petition to restore the right to open carry in Texas.

As the D.C. v. Heller decision made clear, the Constitutional right to bear arms relates to the carrying of unconcealed guns. Slip Op. at 10 & 54-57, available at http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/wp-cont...06/07-2901.pdf.

Even for those who desire to conceal their handguns most of the time, the absolute ban on un-concealing handguns is not just an onerous mandate, it is essentially impossible to comply with at all times in all conditions. For example, under Texas law it is unlawful for any person to un-conceal their handgun (i.e., take off one's coat) even when visiting a friend's home, farm, ranch, or business.

I look forward to hearing from you on this matter.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

--

Action Item 2: Email your STATE (not U.S.) Senator

Find your State Senator at Who Represents Me--Home, then go to his/her web page, and send a web form email.

Suggested Message

SUBJECT: Please sponsor legislation to restore open carry rights in Texas!

Dear Senator:

I ask you to sponsor legislation to restore the right of Texans to open carry holstered handguns. A draft of such a bill can be found at OpenCarry.org's Open Carry Rights Restoration Bill for the 2009 Texas Legislature - Texas - Stories From The States - OpenCarry.org - Discussion Forum.

The facts are pretty stark - Texas is one of only 6 states banning the open carry of handguns. Of the 44 states which allow the open carry of handguns, only 14 states require any license to open carry. See map at OpenCarry.org - A Right Unexercised is a Right Lost!.

And despite the widespread open carry rights outside of Texas, a recent FBI study that essentially says that bad guys don't open carry. See Anthony Pinizzotto, et al., Violent Encounters: A Study of Felonious Assaults on Our Nation's Law Enforcement Officers, FBI (2006) (finding that violent criminals carefully conceal their guns and eschew holsters), summary available at
Force Science News

It's no wonder then that over 46,000 Texans have signed an online petition at Open Carry of Handguns in Texas Petition to restore the right to open carry in Texas.

As the DC v. Heller decision made clear, the Constitutional right to bear arms relates to the carrying of unconcealed guns. Slip Op. at 10 & 54-57, available at http://www.scotusblog.com/wp/wp-cont...06/07-2901.pdf.

Even for those who desire to conceal their handguns most of the time, the absolute ban on un-concealing handguns is not just an onerous mandate, it is essentially impossible to comply with at all times in all conditions. For example, under Texas law it is unlawful for any person to un-conceal their handgun (i.e., take off one's coat) even when visiting a friend's home, farm, ranch, or business.

I look forward to hearing from you on this matter.

Sincerely,

YOUR NAME

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Frogbones]

http://www.defensivecarry.com/vbulle...as-merged.html

[nuparadigm]

Rep. Dora Olivo hasn't bothered to respond to me.

Se. Glen Hegar responded with this:

I fully support Texans' right to carry and defend themselves. For that reason I am proud to say that during all three sessions that I have been a member of the legislature I have carried legislation to increase Texans' right to carry and protect themselves. During the upcoming legislative session, which begins in January of 2009, please be assured that I will work closely with the National Rifle Association and the Texas State Rifle Association to continue increasing individual rights for Texans to carry and defend themselves.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to do so again in the future.


Sincerely,

Senator Glenn Hegar

In other words, Hegar won't commit himself to Open Carry.

[sss]

Submitted mine over a month ago to Dan Patrick and Jim Murphy. Patrick sent me a canned response via email, and Murphy hasn't sent me anything at all. :(

[charliegiv]

Just sent mine out to Rep. Dukes and Sen. Watson of Austin area.

[Paco]

Rep. Schapiro sent me a very nice, and personal form letter back.

[phillb]

Submitted mine over a month ago to Dan Patrick and Jim Murphy. Patrick sent me a canned response via email, and Murphy hasn't sent me anything at all. :(

I'm pretty sure that Jim Murphy didn't get re-elected. I had a lot of contact with his office during my wait for my CHL and they told me after the election that he had lost.

[CrookedSoul]

Just sent mine off, thanks guys

[FireAir7215]

I emailed Hegar early this afternoon and got a email back recently.

Here it said,


I fully support Texans' right to carry and defend themselves. For that
reason I am proud to say that during all three sessions that I have been
a member of the legislature I have carried legislation to increase
Texans' right to carry and protect themselves. During the upcoming
legislative session, which begins in January of 2009, please be assured
that I will work closely with the National Rifle Association and the
Texas State Rifle Association to continue increasing individual rights
for Texans to carry and defend themselves.

I am in the process of putting together my legislative package of bills
for the 81st Session and have not decided as yet what specific bills I
will sponsor or author. I do want you to know that not sponsoring or
authoring a bill does not indicate lack of support for that issue. I
can support bills by voting for those bills in committee, in the Senate
Chamber as well as meeting with my colleagues and encouraging their
support as well.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts with me.
Please do not hesitate to do so again in the future.

Sincerely,

Glenn Hegar