Swordsmyth
03-22-2019, 06:04 PM
According to Nathan Josiah of Gun Owners of America, Constitutional Carry bill (HB 357) is languishing (https://gunowners.org/txstatealert/) in the State House.
Constitutional Carry (HB 357 (https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/86R/billtext/pdf/HB00357I.pdf)), introduced by pro-gun Champion Jonathan Stickland, would restore the gun rights of law-abiding Texans by removing the permit to carry a concealed firearm.
At first glance, it looks like Texas leadership, including Speaker Dennis Bonnen, does not want to prioritize Constitutional Carry or any legislation that drastically advances the gun rights of Texans.
HB 357 was originally assigned to the Homeland Security and Public Safety committee on February 22, 2019. Curiously, Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen named (http://www.epbusinessjournal.com/2019/01/representative-poncho-nevarez-appointed-chairman-of-homeland-security-and-public-safety-committee/) seasoned anti-gun Democrat Poncho Nevarez as the chair of the Homeland Security Committee. This move has rightfully earned Bonnen flack from pro-gun organizations such as Lone Star Gun Rights (https://twitter.com/LoneStarGRights/status/1088553890478477314), who were “not surprised” by Bonnen’s decision.
As expected, Nevarez has been promising for weeks that the bill will be receiving a hearing “soon”. Now the Chairman of Homeland Security Committee announced that HB 357 will receive a hearing likely in April. Because of House deadlines and the quickly approaching May 27 session end date, Constitutional Carry appears to be on “life support” in Texas according to Nathan Josiah. On top of that, there is no companion bill in the Texas Senate.
Although Bonnen is not the main culprit behind Constitutional Carry’s lack of traction, Justin Delosh, the co-Founder and Legislative Director of Lone Star Gun Rights, said that Bonnen is still “the guy that could get Constitutional Carry moving”.
Delosh pointed out as well that Bonnen is also capable of placing “roadblocks” on Constitutional Carry. One of these roadblocks is Bonnen’s appointment of anti-gun Democrat Poncho Nevarez to the Homeland Security Committee.
In Delosh’s view, Nevarez will be used as a “strawman” by Bonnen in the case that pro-gun legislation like Constitutional Carry dies in committee. This way, Bonnen gets political cover for not letting Constitutional Carry legislation through and he can just pin the blame on Nevarez, who he ironically put in power in the first place.
More at: https://bigleaguepolitics.com/constitutional-carry-bill-near-death-in-texas-house/
Constitutional Carry (HB 357 (https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/86R/billtext/pdf/HB00357I.pdf)), introduced by pro-gun Champion Jonathan Stickland, would restore the gun rights of law-abiding Texans by removing the permit to carry a concealed firearm.
At first glance, it looks like Texas leadership, including Speaker Dennis Bonnen, does not want to prioritize Constitutional Carry or any legislation that drastically advances the gun rights of Texans.
HB 357 was originally assigned to the Homeland Security and Public Safety committee on February 22, 2019. Curiously, Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen named (http://www.epbusinessjournal.com/2019/01/representative-poncho-nevarez-appointed-chairman-of-homeland-security-and-public-safety-committee/) seasoned anti-gun Democrat Poncho Nevarez as the chair of the Homeland Security Committee. This move has rightfully earned Bonnen flack from pro-gun organizations such as Lone Star Gun Rights (https://twitter.com/LoneStarGRights/status/1088553890478477314), who were “not surprised” by Bonnen’s decision.
As expected, Nevarez has been promising for weeks that the bill will be receiving a hearing “soon”. Now the Chairman of Homeland Security Committee announced that HB 357 will receive a hearing likely in April. Because of House deadlines and the quickly approaching May 27 session end date, Constitutional Carry appears to be on “life support” in Texas according to Nathan Josiah. On top of that, there is no companion bill in the Texas Senate.
Although Bonnen is not the main culprit behind Constitutional Carry’s lack of traction, Justin Delosh, the co-Founder and Legislative Director of Lone Star Gun Rights, said that Bonnen is still “the guy that could get Constitutional Carry moving”.
Delosh pointed out as well that Bonnen is also capable of placing “roadblocks” on Constitutional Carry. One of these roadblocks is Bonnen’s appointment of anti-gun Democrat Poncho Nevarez to the Homeland Security Committee.
In Delosh’s view, Nevarez will be used as a “strawman” by Bonnen in the case that pro-gun legislation like Constitutional Carry dies in committee. This way, Bonnen gets political cover for not letting Constitutional Carry legislation through and he can just pin the blame on Nevarez, who he ironically put in power in the first place.
More at: https://bigleaguepolitics.com/constitutional-carry-bill-near-death-in-texas-house/