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baldeagle wrote:

Keith B wrote:That is one of the most harmful things you could do. A legislature full of newbies with no clue how to handle bills would be a total catastrophy and you would get NOTHING passed. Everyone would be trying to get their own agendas through and there would be no long term realtionships (good OR bad), so no one would be partnering up to work through issues.

This is the kind of thinking that got us in the present situation. We don't need politicians running our legislature. We need citizens who serve briefly, and for the people. The argument that newly elected representatives can't get anything done is the product of politicians convincing the public that only someone who has served a long time can produce results. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that the long-serving politicians are the ones who are screwing things up. Fresh blood and a steady turnover will keep them listening to the ones who elect them. If it takes a long time to become an effective legislator, than perhaps the PROCESS is screwed up and needs to be simplified?

Jasonw560 wrote:Two years is a long time, but it's not long enough. Let's pick ourselves up wipe our bloodied noses, and prepare for the next round. Start early and keep at it.

Paragrouper wrote:

Jasonw560 wrote:Two years is a long time, but it's not long enough. Let's pick ourselves up wipe our bloodied noses, and prepare for the next round. Start early and keep at it.

Keith B wrote:I can see you have your mind made up and trying to talk to you about this would be So, just remember when you vote against a legislator who has a predominantly pro-gun stance and has a track record to prove it, you are more than likely killing your chances of getting ANY 2A legislation passed for future sessions.

Jasonw560 wrote:Fair enough. What can I do to help with the education? I believe we need to start early, and get minds changed for the better.

baldeagle wrote:

Keith B wrote:I can see you have your mind made up and trying to talk to you about this would be So, just remember when you vote against a legislator who has a predominantly pro-gun stance and has a track record to prove it, you are more than likely killing your chances of getting ANY 2A legislation passed for future sessions.

And that would be different from this session how?

baldeagle wrote:

warhorse10_9 wrote:

baldeagle wrote:

warhorse10_9 wrote:baldeagle, I completely understand how upset you are, I am upset to. Instead of taking out your frustration on Senator Wentworth or other people who actually supported the bill the entire time. I would look at the people who didn't.

Why? There will always be opposition. Supporters aren't really supporters if they can't get it done. Results are what matter, not rhetoric. And the Republicans have utterly failed at producing results. Why, then, should they get a pass?

Again, I will bring up the point of the tables being turned. Are you saying that in the event the Republicans had a minority of seats that you would vote them out of office since they couldn't pass the legislation you wanted.

That is NOT what I am saying. The Republicans had the majority and couldn't get it done. What good are they? We might was well have 31 Democratic Senators.

warhorse10_9 wrote:[Senator Wentworth and other supporters did all they could to pass this legislation given the circumstances. You cannot stall the entire legislative session for one piece of legislation.

Sorry, but that's not true. The Republicans COULD have told the Dems, either this bill comes to a vote or none of yours will. 2/3rds works both ways. But the Republicans paid lip service to campus carry and CHOSE not to fight for it. Oh well, we didn't get it done just doesn't cut it any more. If you can't get it done, get the heck out of office and let someone who WILL get it done take over.

Again I ask, why did we elect Republicans to a majority? So they could get played by minority? Give me a break. I'm sick and tired of namby pamby politicans who claim they believe in things but don't have the guts to see them through.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:I'm mad, frustrated, and disappointed just like everyone else. When the point-of-order was sustained on SB1581, I saw 3 years of work spiral down the political toilet. Alice and the NRA lobbyist felt the same way, perhaps even worse. I've drafted then deleted three posts and this probably isn't the best time for me to "talk" about this session. I'm mad at key people in Austin and I don't want to say something I regret and offend friends here on TexasCHLforum. I do want to make these general statements.

Everything that could possibly be done for campus-carry was done. Senator Wentworth battled harder for this legislation than most legislators do for any bill. The 2/3 rule in the Senate is and always has been a controversial subject. Many years ago we used it to block anti-gun legislation. In recent years, it has worked against us, but not often. I still don't like it.

I want to be candid about the campus-carry bills this session. While it's easy to point to two Senators and say they cost us campus-carry, that's not necessarily accurate. The truth is the opposition to campus-carry was absolutely huge and it was constant. For every pro campus-carry call, fax, or email sent, there were hundreds in opposition. And it never stopped; the calls and emails were coming to the very end. In all my years of legislative work, I've never seen the level of opposition to a gun bill, or any other bill for that matter. For those who watched the hearings in the House and Senate, the daily opposition ran just as strong.

The real irony is that some of the strongest opposition came from the very people we were trying to help -- college students and faculty. That's a hard fact to ignore when you are an elected official. I have no idea why it was so much stronger this session than last, and it certainly wasn't John Woods, though he'll likely take credit for it. He simply doesn't have the influence at the student/faculty level, much less with the deep pocket donors to universities who opposed the bills just as strongly.

It's clear there is a lot of educating that needs to be done before campus-carry passes. We have to remember that the general public simply doesn't care about this issue and the idea of "guns in school" still strikes fear in the hearts of many of those who are not as well educated on the facts of concealed carry and self-defense as are those in the active shooting community. It's not their fault, nor ours, it just the way it is. We have to change that through education.

There is a clear problem in the House and I'll report on that later. For now, let's all just take a step back, cool off, and plan calmly for the 2012 election and the 2013 legislative session. To do otherwise is an exercise in futility and we may damage relationships so vital to success in future sessions.

To the extent some of my posts may have already offended some, I truly apologize. Even grizzled old trial lawyers can get testy now and then. As always, thanks for your support of Texas gun owners.

Chas.