U.S.A. -(Ammoland.com)- -On 29 May 2019, H.B. 1177 was sent to Governor Abbott. The bill will make Constitutional Carry legal in Texas, during evacuations when a “state of disaster” is declared and for 168 hours (one week) after the state of disaster declaration.
The law is another incremental step moving toward Constitutional Carry in Texas. It makes perfect sense when taken in the context of the Second Amendment:
A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.
In the basic understanding of the reality of the writers and ratifiers of the United States Constitution, it would be local militias, made from local residents, that maintain order and provide for defense and security during emergencies.
The United States has a long history of spontaneous and organic organization of militias during emergencies. The Second Amendment is a guarantee the people will have arms available to form militias when necessary. The concept that the people should be disarmed during an emergency would be utterly foreign to the founders. It strikes at the foundational concept of the Second Amendment.
Texans have always had the right to bear long arms openly. It was arms worn on the person, such as handguns and belt knives, that were prohibited from being carried by the reconstruction government after the War Between the States, in 1869. At that time, a new Texas Constitution gutted the existing guaranteed right to keep and bear arms.
The reconstruction government was voted out of office. The reconstruction governor was forced to vacate the office he had lost by the threat of a spontaneously organized militia. The newly elected Democrats liked the ability to disarm blacks, Hispanics and anyone else they wished, so they kept most of the new power to disarm people when they voted in another Texas constitution in 1876.
During the last 24 years, Texans have been incrementally restoring the right to keep and bear arms, including arms worn on the person. Those in power have resisted the change; Texans have been electing leaders who respect the right, such as Governor Abbott.
It is expected that Governor Abbott will sign H.B. 1177. From dallasnews.com:
Under current law, Texans who can legally own a firearm don’t need an additional license to openly carry a long arm, like a AR-15. However, to carry a handgun openly or concealed, Texans must get a “license to carry,” which requires taking a course, performing a shooting test, passing a background check and paying a fee.
Gun owners asked for these license rules to be loosened after Hurricane Harvey hit the Gulf Coast in 2017. Gun control groups like Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America oppose the bill, but the NRA supported it, saying it would allow Texans to protect themselves and their property from being looted after a hurricane or other natural disaster.
In Progressive ideology, elites make the rules for everyone else. The facade of democracy is preserved by using the media to change public opinion to what the elites desire. The philosophy of Progressivism is opposed to the philosophy of the writers and ratifiers of the Constitution.
Republican Senator Joan Huffman opposed the bill. From statesman.com:
“I think it’s really, really poor public policy that is not thought out,” Huffman said. “I think you are creating a situation which will be very difficult for law enforcement because, instead of having to deal with rescuing people or helping people, they have to deal with situations about how to confront someone with a gun.”
This view is emblematic of the Progressive philosophy.
Armed citizens are the natural allies of police during disasters. Police always have to worry about “confronting someone with a gun.” H.B. 1177 simply means that citizens will not have to worry about police confronting them while they are exercising their Second Amendment rights.
Second Amendment supporters will continue to push for Constitutional Carry in Texas. Recognizing the obvious need to be able to exercise Second Amendment rights during declared disasters is an incremental step in that direction.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
“I think it’s really, really poor public policy that is not thought out,” Huffman said. “I think you are creating a situation which will be very difficult for law enforcement because, instead of having to deal with rescuing people or helping people, they have to deal with situations about how to confront someone with a gun.”…… Really?? While the cops are busy rescuing people from the disaster, then when the scumbags are gonna be out looting houses and stores who’s gonna protect them while all emergency services are tied up everywhere elsd and it’s gonna be 20 minutes before a… Read more »
I need a bill to exercise a constitutional right?
From mommy no doubt though the Health Ranger in TX says they are going to march on the capitol if the state try’s infringing on their rights and Alex Jones has his back. Superhero’s to the rescue. Lol.
Psst, you need permits too and they aren’t free.
IMOA after seeing the violent gun confiscation videos after Hurricane Katrina by LEO’s on law abiding people, I’d recommend not opening the door to anyone and just tell them you’re fine and require no help from them.
Let’s face it, while we believe in full constitutional carry, passing laws is a political process and takes time. Praise God that we have ventured into constitutional carry during emergencies. When we’ve had an emergency and others see that the problems always talked about do not happen, we can get another slice of the pie, until we have it all.Let is stop griping and blaming. Instead, let us give thanks, and keep our eyes on the prize!!
Follow the money. Constitutional carry with no license required = less revenue going to Austin. Get it now?
Equates to the leasing for capitol gain to use guaranteed rights granted by GOD and is why He has commanded His people to not comply or obey the Muslim Beast system that has created gun control.
AMEN!
Yes and that is GOD’s will.
Amen brother.
Governor Abbott is a weasel – he does not support REAL constitutional carry for The People of Texas and remained silent during this year’s legislative session in Austin when REPUBLICAN Speaker of the House, Dennis “Jackass” Bonnen, killed House Bill 357: constitutional carry. To hell with Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, AG Ken Paxton, and Speaker Dennis Bonnen – they ALL opposed constitutional carry legislation.
This legislation is just fluff, it means nothing 99.9% of the time.
Texans actually first lost most of their gun rights to the tyrannical CSA government in Richmond, and was enforced by both state and Confederate troops with a heavy hand. Reconstruction government was in many aspects a relief. That being said, both speak to your points. I really appreciate your articles and thank you for your work.
More and more I’m convinced that when government isn’t actively trying to destroy you it’s like a useless employee that takes a paycheck for sleeping on the job
Yeah, it has to be exhausting work keeping their scam going for all these years. Even actors get tired.
This argument drives me nuts! From Huffman’s quote….”………you are creating a situation which will be very difficult for law enforcement because, instead of having to deal with rescuing people or helping people, they have to deal with situations about how to confront someone with a gun…..”
Carrying a gun is legal, why do they have to “deal” with them at all??? Would they have to “deal” with them is they were carrying a baseball bat or gulf club???
The concept of “it’s legal, leave’m alone” Daaaaaaaaaa
OK. This is a new twist on an old Jim Crow trick. Grant back a tiny fragment of a Constitutionally enumerated Natural Right and call it progress. So tell me again, why do we trust our security and prosperity to governments that do not trust us?
Or corporations (gun clubs), why trust them when receiving the same result one receives from government (US Corporation)? Is it possible they are all fruit from the same tree?
Thomas Jefferson warned us about corporate tyranny.
And, doesn’t falsely granting back this partial piece of a right which can’t be taken to begin with create the illusion that in fact it can and has been taken thus enforcing illegal disarmament of USA aka what we call Kool-Aid?
Uh huh, it sure does and that’s why I call those who believe this kind of shit BOOTLICKERS.
I really miss living in Texas!
Another permission slip to exercise a right that long existed prior to the formation of USA. They need a website where Bootlickers can go and lease the rights they want to use on a daily basis. Like tool rental.
Abbot now hero because he let Texans lick his boots.
2A is lifetime lease, permit & registration for firearms possession, use and carrying purposes that excludes not a single American yet somehow bootlickers still require permission from their mommy. Some refuse to drop all the way out of the womb. Klingons.
@ Rocky Mountain, I am commenting this a few hundred miles from Texas, but what I have seen is that Abbott is trying to restore the rights of Texans to a pre democrat level. There are sure a lot worse governors out there than he is, try your own state for instance.
Agreed Colorado Governor is terrible. Perhaps our Governors should simply defy all gun control since it is all illegal. Kinda like they defy Federal Immigration laws. Restoring 2A is one thing, complying to it as it is written in plain English text is another. Gun control is that Muslim shit. The Beast system. All gun control is the Beast system. Democrats are Beast system. Tells us all about it in the Bible and is why GOD has commanded his people to NOT COMPLY.
Tomcat, I agree, I will gladly take Greg Abbott for Northam.
maybe le is always within arm’s reach for lawyer-royalty like huffmn, not so for commoners
name correction: huffman
This is false hope. A garbage piece of crap Texas. Y’all have the right to keep and BEAR ARMS! No matter the date or time. It’s a freakin illusion to to placate y’all.
It will happen. Idiot Republican speaker killed it this time. He will be voted out.