Texas Scorecard by Destin Sensky 3/26/2019
The window is narrowing for the bill to receive a public hearing with enough time to survive the legislative process.Is the window for constitutional carry closing in the Texas Legislature? According to the bill’s author, it may be.
State Rep. Jonathan Stickland (R-Bedford) took to Facebook last week to sound off on the stalling of House leadership as it pertains to his legislation, House Bill 357, which would end the state’s requirement for Texans to receive permission from government to exercise their right to bear arms in public.
The March 18 post indicated Texas House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee Chairman Poncho Nevarez (D–Eagle Pass), an appointee of Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, had told Stickland directly he was uncertain the bill would receive a public hearing at all. Even if it did, whether it would come soon enough to beat the 30-day calendar requirement to reach the floor was also uncertain, possibly providing a cop-out for leadership looking to absolve themselves of responsibility on the campaign trail next spring in Republican primary contests.
Now, several authors or coauthors in the Texas House are telling Texas Scorecard they have encouraged Nevarez to hold a hearing for the public to be able to voice their support and to allow the committee to vote on the bill.
“I firmly believe HB 357 should be brought up for a hearing and a vote before the Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety,†said Rep. Dewayne Burns (R–Cleburne). “I have consistently encouraged Chairman Nevarez to bring the bill forward, and hope he will do so,†Burns said.
More:
https://texasscorecard.com/state/constitutional-carry-on-the-ropes-in-bonnens-house/
