PATRICK SAYS NOT ENOUGH VOTES IN SENATE TO PASSS ‘PERMITLESS’ CARRY
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says he believes the state Senate does not currently have the votes to pass permitless carry of handguns.
However, the Republican leader of the Senate says he will try to see if there is a “path” to change that.
Patrick’s comments come days after the state House approved a permitless carry bill, commonly referred to as “constitutional carry” by supporters.
In a statement issued Monday, Patrick said if there are enough votes to pass a permitless carry bill off the Senate floor, he will move it. But at this point they don’t have the votes.
Patrick plans to meet with law enforcement who oppose permitless carry and with the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America who support the move.
When concealed carry was first passed, the law enforcement heads all lined up in front of the cameras and microphones and told stories of blood running in the streets ankle deep and dead babies on the lawn all over the state. And guess what? It didn’t happen! The same story with open carry when it passed. Now that permitless carry is in sight, it’s the same story.
The same RINOs and their Chamber of Commerce masters are doing their best to kill it in the Senate. Patrick has pulled these same stunts every time the issue of expanding the right to carry has come up- we don’t have the votes. Does he think we are going to believe he’s not a politician?
It may well be that the first measures of Texas gun control were started in 1870 with An Act Regulating the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. This prohibited the caring of a dangerous weapon into a school, church, social gathering, or any place where people were gathered in a group setting. That year also prohibited caring of a weapon within one half mile of a polling place on election day.
1871 witnessed more stringent controls with An Act to Regulate the Keeping and Bearing of Deadly Weapons; violation of the terms of this law would result in forfeiture of the weapon to the county.
By 1887, the carrying of all dangerous weapons was prohibited, and fines ranged from $25 to $200 (probably $750 to $6,000 in today’s money value) and incarceration in the county jail for no less than 20 nor any more than 60 days.
For all of those who want to revel in the fact that the 1800s were the “good old days”, it would seem that our respected state leaders at the time were attempting to cut down on violent acts and preserve public safety. I wonder where the current group of politicians and legislators figure in that equation, especially when they are seemingly diametrically opposed to what the police and law enforcement officers advise. Isn’t everybody supportive of our law enforcement officers, or do we just say that as a way to pacify them?