TX: Campus Carry Passes; now to Governor Abbott

The campus carry bill passed the last hurdles in the Texas House and Texas Senate today, 31 May, 2015. The bill was significantly altered during the debates in the House and in the conference committee, primarily because it was held up in the House calendars committee until near the end of the legislative session. This gave the minority of House Democrats leverage to insert restrictive amendments as a trade off to running out the clock.

House Speaker Joe Straus is widely given responsibility for control of the Calendars committee; he appointed the members, who are seen as Straus loyalists. In 2013, Straus gathered 11 Republicans and at least 65 Democrats to seize the Speaker's position. In 2015 Straus was elected to the Speakership with only 19 opposing votes, though Wikipedia states that it was the first recorded vote for speaker since 1976. Speaker Straus has great control over what bills pass, and what bills die in committee. In his first term as speaker, it is reported that more Democrat bills become law than Republican bills.

The campus carry bill, SB11 is expected to be signed by Governor Abbot in a few days, but the provisions of the law will not go into effect until August 1, 2016 for four year colleges, and August 1, 2017 for Junior colleges.

SB 11 allows officers in colleges to create rules and regulations for the concealed carry of handguns by license holders. Those have to be presented to the governing body, such as a Board of Reagents. This language was added in the conference committee, and seems to dilute the effect of SB 11 even more than the House amendments, which did not give administrative officers in colleges this power, but required a 2/3 vote by governing bodies.

“SB 11 allows officers in colleges to create rules and regulations for the concealed carry of handguns by license holders.”

Which means that the colleges will make up regulations that will make carrying a weapon on campus impossible.

“Speaker Straus has great control over what bills pass, and what bills die in committee. In his first term as speaker, it is reported that more Democrat bills become law than Republican bills.”

Shameful

...........Speaker Straus has great control over what bills pass, and what bills die in committee. In his first term as speaker, it is reported that more Democrat bills become law than Republican bills..........

In Texas, the governorship is the weakest of all 50 states. The way the state has the powers set up, the speaker of the House has more power as is seen in this incident.

The reason is because during the years after the civil war, the Northern Republicans forced a new constitution on Texas and the other former Dixie States. These constitutions made the governorships strong with major powers. They also forced upon the Southern states a governor of their choosing whop favored the Northern States and the Republican parties desires. Losing wars have consequences.

After reconstruction ended the Texans voted in a new constitution that weakened the Governors office so substantially that to this day it is the weakest of all state governorships.

Thus the reason Bush was such a pushover by the Democrats when he was President and why Rick Perry cannot be allowed to become President.

When Bush was governor of Texas, he prided himself on the way he could work with the Democrats to get things done. In Texas, he had to work with Democrats because Pete Laney, a Democrat was the Speaker of the House and he controlled all legislation. So when he was elected, no one should have been shocked he gave into the leftist Democrats so much by giving into many of their demands.

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