The next legislative session for Texas lawmakers commences on January 10, 2017, but the period for pre-filing bills for consideration began on November 14, 2016, and over four hundred of bills were filed the first day alone.
Democratic state representatives wasted no time in taking aim at law abiding gun owners and their rights by filing several anti-gun measures.
The most prolific anti-gun legislator is Rep. Rafael Anchia (D-San Antonio), who has pre-filed several bills aimed at restricting the rights of gun owners and hunters.
Here are some of the bills Anchia has filed:
If passed, this bill would allow enforcement of 30.06 and 30.07 signs posted on government property if it is occupied by a non-governmental entity or person.
HB 246This bill seeks to change the way property owners can provide written communicate of their desire to prohibit firearms on their property by changing the language of the 30.06 and 30.07 signs to simply read “Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code, Concealed Carry of Handguns Prohibited” and “Pursuant to Section 30.07, Penal Code, Open Carry of Handguns Prohibited,” respectively. Furthermore, the measure would allow the sign to depict a pictogram of a handgun within a circle with a slash drawn across it.
If this bill passes, the places where the open or concealed carry of handguns is prohibited would grow substantially. Anchia would ban handguns “on the premises or property of an indoor or outdoor arena, stadium, golf course, automobile racetrack, amphitheater, auditorium, theater, museum, zoo, civic center, or convention center, unless the license holder is a participant in an event conducted at the facility and a handgun is used in the event,” provided effective written notice under Penal Code Sections 30.06 and 30.07’s signage requirements is given.
This bill seeks to require mandatory background checks at gun shows for all sales, except to a peace officer or holders of a license to carry a handgun. The seller, even a private individual, must keep records of all transactions. It also requires the promoters to have a licensed firearms dealer available to conduct the background checks or do it themselves and to post prominent signs that background checks will be conducted on all sales. Violations would be Class A misdemeanor.
This piece of legislature addresses guns on campus. It would change current law to allow all institutions of higher education, including public institutions, to opt out of the current campus carry provisions and prohibit guns on campus.
(Representative Donna Howard [D-Austin], has filed HB 391, which is identical to HB 282.)
This measure would allow municipal governments in cities with a population of over 750,000 persons to enact ordinances prohibiting the open carry of handguns within the city if a majority of voters in that municipality vote in favor of the ban in a referendum election.
If any of these bills pass and are signed by the Governor, they would go into effect on September 1, 2017.
Let your State Representative and State Senator know how you feel about these infringements upon your Second Amendment rights. — by Michael Wisdom, Senior Contributing Editor, Texas & U.S. Law Shield Blog
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