TX Senator Creighton Collapsed Before Constitutional Carry Vote, But Still Voted YES

U.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)-  On 5 May, 2021, the Texas Senate had a historical debate and vote on HB1927, the Constitutional Carry bill. The bill had passed the House, 84-56 on 15 April.

Senator Brandon Creighton was one of the Senators on the Senate Special Committee on Constitutional Issues which had voted for the bill to be passed by the entire Senate.

Senator Creighton is a strong proponent of Second Amendment rights in the Texas Legislature. From brandoncreighton.com:

I will never stop fighting for Second Amendment rights. My priority legislation, Senate Bill 18 prevents government–state and local– from shutting down firearm and ammunition retailers during a time of disaster. The Senate just overwhelmingly passed this bill taking a strong stand so Texans can exercise their constitutional rights.

The debate on HB1927, on the floor of the Senate, was long-winded. Senator Creighton had suffered an automobile mishap a few days earlier.

At about 6:17:30 in the video, Senator Creighton collapsed on the Senate floor and is shakily escorted by first responders, from the chamber.  It was reported Senator Donna Campbell and Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers helped Senator Creighton from the chamber, to be treated.

Screenshot from Texas Legislature video, green text and lines by Dean Weingarten

From houstonchronicle.com:

State Sen. Brandon Creighton collapsed during a debate on the floor of the Texas Senate on Tuesday and required emergency medical care.

Creighton, a Republican from Conroe, had been in a car crash recently and was absent from the Senate on Monday and Tuesday. But on Wednesday he returned to the Texas Capitol Building hoping to vote on legislation to allow permitless carry of handguns in Texas.

“Nothing will keep me from voting for HB1927 and for Texans constitutional rights,” Creighton said on social media on Wednesday just as the debate over the gun legislation started.

A bit less than one hour later, the final roll call vote on the bill was called. Senator Creighton must have made it back to the chamber for the vote.

At 7:11:50 on the video, Senator Creighton’s name is called in the roll call vote and the bill passes 18-13.  All 18 Republican senators were needed to pass the bill, because of the Texas Senate rules on the filibuster, similar to the U.S. Senate.

After the vote, Senator Creighton posted this promise on his website: From brandoncreighton.com:

CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY APPROVED BY TEXAS SENATE.

The Texas Senate just passed HB 1927, ensuring Texans’ constitutional rights. Of the votes I have cast in the Legislature, this one is historic. You have my word, we will get this bill to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk and signed into law.

There are principled politicians who believe in issues and who keep their word.

Senator Brandon Creighton Image from wikipedia, by Charles Shirley, 16 Oct. 2018, Conroe, TX, CC BY-SA, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

From khou.com:

Erin Daly Wilson, a spokesperson for Sen. Creighton, released this statement Wednesday:

“On Thursday evening Senator Creighton was involved in a vehicle collision and sustained minor injuries. He spent the last few days resting, and returned to the Capitol for the critical work of the legislature and to ensure a majority to approve H.B. 1927. He wants to thank DPS and the physicians who treated him, and will be back working for Senate District 4 as soon as possible.”

On Twitter, Senator Creighton said

“..I felt I needed to be on the Senate floor to ensure we had the votes needed to pass Constitutional Carry. I pushed myself too hard and got lightheaded.”

The bill had eight amendments added in the Senate. The Senate version of the bill has to be approved of by the House, or it has to go to conference committee to have the differences worked out. The Texas legislature will close at the end of May. Rep. Matt Schaefer is the author of the bill in the House. From dallsnews.com:

Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, the bill’s author, on Wednesday compared the situation to a car.

“If the Senate chips some paint off and leaves the body straight, we’re still in good shape,” Schaefer, R-Tyler, said. When asked how far would be too far, he said, “We’ll know it when we see it. We want to preserve the purpose of the bill.”

Schaefer said he is optimistic the bill, House Bill 1927, will be sitting on Abbott’s desk come the end of May.

Members of the House and all interested parties will be examining the eight amendments to see the best way forward from the Senate vote.


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 retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.