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Hey Charles, how long can a bill stay in committee? I would love to see this bill pass, but what kind of a timeline do we look at for committee work on this bill (or any bill)? I have a link to the Texas Legislature that alerts me on changes in HB1301 and the campus carry bill (don't remember the number) and there has been no updates since March 23, 2009 when it was left "pending in committee."

mikeintexas wrote:Hey Charles, how long can a bill stay in committee? I would love to see this bill pass, but what kind of a timeline do we look at for committee work on this bill (or any bill)? I have a link to the Texas Legislature that alerts me on changes in HB1301 and the campus carry bill (don't remember the number) and there has been no updates since March 23, 2009 when it was left "pending in committee."

Many bills die in committee without ever getting a hearing (HB1301 did), or not be voted on after a hearing. I suspect the parking lot bill will be voted out soon and then it goes to Calendars Committee. However, it's also quite possible that SB730 will be moved instead of HB1301, since it has passed the Senate and is now in the House.

Chas.

Chas - rumors of any updates? I keep hoping I'll see a bill update email from state saying this one passed committee :)

I will admit upfront my opinion of Austin is not real high. So with that said based on my experience with Austin, a bill does not progress if the chairman of the committe it is in does not want to move it. So in the case of the parking lot bill, if the chairman of the public safety committee does not support the bill then it will die right there. Say he does support it, if the chairman of the calendars committee does not like it, it will die in the calendars committee etc. etc. etc.
This session has been the most unproductive in history. The current sesssion has done nothing but waste taxpayer money and it does not look like doing anything productive is high on anyone's priority list. The only bills that seem to get anywhere are ones that make Austin look like heros or the ones that are hot potatoes that no one wants to been seen as holding up. Bills that make sense, unless suppported by the high and mighty of each committe dont have a prayer.

Anyone able to watch the committee hearing of SB730 in the house public safety committee today? Ideas on when a vote might take place?

I see that SB730 came out of the Public Safety committee today with a vote of Ayes=5, Nays=0, Present Not Voting=1 and Absent=3.
It looks like we are a little closer...

mikeintexas wrote:I see that SB730 came out of the Public Safety committee today with a vote of Ayes=5, Nays=0, Present Not Voting=1 and Absent=3.
It looks like we are a little closer...

Woohoooo finally, is it heading to calendars now or a separate committee?

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup ... Bill=SB730" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Check the link above. It shows the bill is out of the committees (Criminal Justice and Public Safety) and on to the House for vote. Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

MS

mikeintexas wrote:http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLookup ... Bill=SB730

Check the link above. It shows the bill is out of the committees (Criminal Justice and Public Safety) and on to the House for vote. Please, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

MS

Sorry, but it cleared the House Public Safety Committee and it's either in or on its way to the House Calendars Committee.

Chas.

Chas - any one in particular we should focus on contacting in Calendars for SB730?

Texas Legislature Online shows that SB 730 was printed and distributed today.

What comes next?

oops

The petro-chemical won their portion of the battle as did the education lobby before them. I would not be suprised if waiting to dothis change is what held up the bill.

Look at the following section which was added to the House committee report. This is listed under the section "The bill does not apply to:"

(4) property owned or leased by an employer who is
required to submit a risk management plan under Section 112(r) of
the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. Section 7412) and on which the
primary business conducted is the manufacture, use, storage, or
transportation of hazardous, combustible, or explosive materials
regulated under state or federal law

This could be interpreted as manufacturing/processing plants, trucking companies, Hank Hill's propane and propane accessories business. How about the Wal-Mart or hardware store that stores propane bottles...well , I guest that is nto their primary business. Never mind about the last two.

It still could be a big win for the vast majority of workers in the state but I sorely regret the loss of parity for those in the petro-chemical industry and for those involved in education.

I guess incrementalism is the name of the game in this arena, but it is really frustrating for those left behind this session...assuming we are not ALL left behind. That could still be the case.

Like you say the lobbies got their money worth. School teachers and parents will be prohibited from carrying at K-12 schools even if the watered down campus carry passes to allow taxpayers with a CHL to carry at taxpaper funded universities. Still, it's about time we started slicing the antis' salami instead of the other way around.

CWOOD wrote:The petro-chemical won their portion of the battle as did the education lobby before them. I would not be suprised if waiting to dothis change is what held up the bill.

Look at the following section which was added to the House committee report. This is listed under the section "The bill does not apply to:"

(4) property owned or leased by an employer who is
required to submit a risk management plan under Section 112(r) of
the federal Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. Section 7412) and on which the
primary business conducted is the manufacture, use, storage, or
transportation of hazardous, combustible, or explosive materials
regulated under state or federal law

This could be interpreted as manufacturing/processing plants, trucking companies, Hank Hill's propane and propane accessories business. How about the Wal-Mart or hardware store that stores propane bottles...well , I guest that is nto their primary business. Never mind about the last two.

It still could be a big win for the vast majority of workers in the state but I sorely regret the loss of parity for those in the petro-chemical industry and for those involved in education.

I guess incrementalism is the name of the game in this arena, but it is really frustrating for those left behind this session...assuming we are not ALL left behind. That could still be the case.

How does this relate to defense contractors? I could see them claiming the manufacture, use, storage, or
transportation of hazardous, combustible, or explosive materials regulated under state or federal law as a way to get around allowing employees to lock up thier firearms. Once again it appears that those of us who are responsible enough to build weapons for our government will be deemed not responsible enought to leave our weapons locked up in the parking lot.