Texas State Rifle Association PAC
Email from Alice Tripp Legislative Director 7/02/18
Last Monday, June 25, the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, chaired by Rep. Joe Moody (D-El Paso) heard invited and public testimony on two of the issues assigned to the House and Senate by Governor Abbott.
The series of interim studies comes at the request of Governor Abbott in his School Safety Plan.
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/85R/schedules/html/C2202018062510001.HTM The Monday hearing covered Red Flag Emergency Orders of Protection and the Child Storage law found in Penal Code 46.13 passed in1995.
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.46.htm#46.13 My job was to furnish the committee with the best possible impact witnesses and statements. This meant folks with a story to tell dealing with personal experiences as related to the issues being discussed.
The Governor has suggested a change to the age of a child raising the age for a child from under 17 to under 18 and to increase the highest penalty for the parent.
Both of these changes could be a problem for youth competitive shooters and hunters who often drive each other to practice, to matches or the deer lease and transport their own firearms.
Charles Schmidt of Fredericksburg, age 16, is a competitive shooter in rifle and working hard toward a scholarship to college.
He is now the age to drive himself and his equipment (his term for rifle) to practice and to competition. Charles's mother, a 4-H coach, spoke also as did other kids and their parents.
Any change to law must be carefully crafted.
Testimony was also heard on the issue of Red Flag Protective Orders, mentioned by the press and by President Trump after recent school shootings.
The term "red flag" began being used in the press. Articles reported that red flags had been missed which could have predicted that the shooter was mentally ill and dangerous to himself and to others.
This new order of protection would allow firearms to be confiscated solely because a person is acting weird and talking about violence or harming themself. . We fought down such legislation during session (HB 866). HB 866 made no mention of "due process" or listed the involvement (before or after) of a mental health professional.
.In other words, you're strange, confiscate your firearms.
Constable Gene Dolle from Gilmer provided excellent testimony. He spoke of mistakes made by courts and how people's lives were ruined when they were forced to defend themselves and pay for that defense due to over-zealous relatives making false statements. He also believes sections of existing law in the Texas Health and Safety Code which could work as currently written.
Due process! Especially for even a temporary loss of constitutional rights!
What law is missing?
Red Flags are everywhere but someone has to notice!
The interim hearings will continue through the summer in both the House and the Senate. I'll write more soon.
Mike Cox, a member of my Legislative Committee and TSRA's LTC director chatted with a Bloomberg Mom's Demand. These ladies turn out by the dozens with red t-shirts listing "Moms Demand". She was saying "Why that lady is so dedicated she drove all the way down from Dallas." Mike's come-back was TSRA is so committed it's been doing this for 99 years. Thanks, Mike!
In conclusion:
Thank you, Jon Norwood and family, Teppi and Charles Schmidt, Constable Dolle and many others. They put a face on the issues with their personal testimony.
A sea of red-shirted, Bloomberg Mom's Demand spoke about what they thought and what they felt. Our folks talked about what they knew to be fact.
Right people at the right time with the right information. Again, thank you.
More to come.
