Did not have a permit to carry arms from PA to NJ.
Posted on 12/09/2016 10:17:21 PM PST by nickcarraway
Last session, it was open carry. This session, the statehouse may take on a further-reaching firearm debate: Constitutional carry.
Rooted in the Constitution's Second Amendment, “constitutional carry” laws give any U.S. citizen the right to carry a firearm without a license — and is already permitted in 11 states and Puerto Rico. Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, hopes to add Texas to that list.
"No Texan should have to pay a fee or take a class to exercise their right to bear arms,” said Stickland, in a statement. Stickland, whose reelection campaign motto is "More freedom, less government," has said permit-less carry is the original intention of the Second Amendment — and can even be considered a religious right.
"The right to keep and bear arms is essential to liberty — it comes not from government, but from God," Stickland's website reads.
If passed, no Texan would have to pass a criminal background check, drug or alcohol addiction test, or mental health screening before carrying a handgun. This would also eliminate any of the currently-required training courses on gun safety.
This is the second time Stickland has filed a constitutional carry bill; his 2015 legislation was never given a committee hearing. He believes the bill was overshadowed with the push for open carry and the concealed carry of handguns on public college campuses, two bills he also rallied behind.
Stickland’s House Bill 375 is by far the most sweeping gun rights legislation that’s been filed ahead of the session, which starts next month, but it joins a few others in loosening state gun laws, including a bill that would make the gun licensing fee free, one that would ban doctors from asking if patients have a gun in their home, and another that would specifically allow school superintendents to carry handguns during school board meetings.
State Democrats, however, have filed their own string of bills to regulate the state's lax gun laws. One would ban guns from state psychiatric hospitals, and another would amend the campus carry law to let public colleges opt out, a privilege private schools already have.
Stickland's bill mimics proposed laws in both South Dakota and Indiana, and members of Congress have hinted of submitting similar bills in the coming congressional session.
“The question that we need to ask ourselves is: does a state mandated test equal safety and I don’t think that it does,” Stickland told Austin’s KXAN News.
I think the courses and training should still be around if people want to take them. They are beneficial to people who don’t have a lot of experience with weapons and the instructors could assist them in figuring out what type of gun would be best for their carry requirements. Helpful for people who don’t know guns and don’t have the experience.
There will always be firearms training here in Texas IMO yet what you speak of needs to be addressed on a recurring basis.
I also think this whole loss of 2a b/c of “domestic violence” heresay or yelling at someone needs to be addressed and shot down.
“Domestic violence” charges can be brought on heresay and one judge’s opinion. It is too broad a charge because it can be verbal abuse. How many women have gone on screaming rants against boyfriends and husbands? Can work both ways here.
But it is ridiculous to lose 2a rights over a misdemeanor offense. If its minor it’s minor. If its a felony its a felony. We have actual real distinctions for what is serious violence. Yelling at someone isn’t a felony. Or a violent misdemeanor.
If it is every liberal protesting and screaming and beating up Trump folks that were not charged with felonies should lose their 2a rights for yelling and pushing thse they are also screaming at.
This is the other major consistency with the law and that is somehow yelling and shouting and such at a stranger doesn’t make you lose 2a rights but if its someone in your family, you do. Totally crazy. Who is one more apt to get into an argument over time, someone you are around a far greater amount of the time, for the duration of your lives, or a transient stranger?
This whole idiocy needs to be shut down.
Yeah, I’d be up for that.
There could even be private sector incentives to get training, encouraged by the govt for safety reasons.
Like breaks on carry insurance if you have to use your weapon. You’d be a preferred customer and get a discounted rate, for example, because you’ve gone through and passed courses that ensure you knew for where you live, what needs to be present for you to use lethal force, etc.
It would be a way to identify and acknowledge gun owners who were consciously taking proactive steps to ensure they knew their state laws and they were showing they took it seriously, the responsibilities that go along with the rights, and they ought to get some benefit for doing so. Not required but desired, definitely not discouraged.
It would be nice to be legal again.
Make all large sellers give free gun safety classes several times a day. Make the small ones do it one or two days a week.
If they really want an informed and responsible armed public, make training unavoidably convenient and free!
do any other Freepers
live in Stickland’s district?
“free gun safety classes”
Nothing in this world is free. Who pays for these “free” classes?
You, of course ;)
Gun safety should be part of public schooling more so than sex ed.
Swimming should also be part of public schooling. It would save a lot of lives.
Combine the two: Swimming in guns.
I happily give free gun safety courses as do many of my fellow NRA instructors.
Firearms training should be universal and age appropriate from Kindergarten onward. Possession and bearing of arms should be a universal requirement with limited exceptions for the physically and mentally infirm. No such thing as a gun free zone save for the prisoner side of the bars in prisons. Carry mandatory for travel on public conveyance. Terrorism would end.
Second, I'm all in favor of unrestricted gun rights (mail order rifles, allowing ownership of full auto weapons and suppressors and so on), but fer the love a God - there are a lot of newbies out there (and even some seasoned veterans) who don't understand such basics as muzzle discipline, "booger hook off the bang switch" till you're ready to shoot, and so on.
I think you should have to take a one hour safety course upon first time purchase of a firearm, offered free by the dealer. At a minimum at least have the purchaser sign that they've read a bullet list of gun safety points.
Before people get all weird on me about this, I've seen a LOT of idiotic things done with guns. I sat in a courtroom while a detective on the witness stand examined a 1911 style Colt in .38 Super, being careless with muzzle discipline and having his finger in the trigger guard, casually pointing it at the jury and spectators while looking it over. While you presume that someone cleared the weapon before it was brought into the courtroom, I wouldn't bet my life on that.
Just my experience.
I believe that is a given. I know of no gun range or dealer that does not offer some kind of training and/or classes.
I do remember a time where we did have gun safety classes in our public schools and the sex education stuff was the domain of parents.
Did not have a permit to carry arms from PA to NJ.
Training , regular practice, yes, but until the multitude of gotcha gun laws and the ability to remember / retain them as knowledge is made common , silly state laws abolished and a general constitutional carry law is in place..... we can not safely travel in the CONUS if both crime and justice is stalking the person exercising their God given right to self defense.
Constitutional carry, when and where you want. Criminal acts should be based on what just or unjust harm you committed , not what hammer, knife, gun, car or brick you used.
Until then, as you state, only local city, county ordinances and state laws knowledge base can be taught and retained by the common person.
Simplify the carry laws for the entire CONUS .
Stay Safe !
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