My letter to Governor Abbott
Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2020 7:10 pm
I sent this letter to the governor a couple of days ago. I don't know if it will have an impact or not, but I thought it was worth a try.
VolTexan wrote:
Governor Abbott,
First, please let me thank you for the direction and leadership you have provided during this current COVID19 issue. I do appreciate the difficulty and complexity of the decisions you have to make vs. those you feel best deferred to the counties and cities across Texas.
I am writing to you for what is a relatively minor issue compared to others you are facing now, but I believe it is significant enough to warrant your attention. If it is in your authority, I request you allow your fellow Texans who are LTC instructors across the state to teach our live LTC classes via online meetings rather than solely face-to-face in order to maintain maximum social distancing during this COVID19 epidemic.
As a Texas License to Carry (LTC) instructor, I have noticed a significant increase in the number of Texans trying to purchase firearms for their self protection, and a commensurate number of Texans seeking out a way to attain their LTC card. In our LTC courses we teach laws about carrying (and using) firearms, handgun use & safety, non-violent dispute resolution, proper storage practices.
I know the law allows for select companies to provide online LTC courses, but the 'live' LTC instructors provide a classroom experience that allows for a significant amount of additional learning due to the interactive nature of Q&A from the students in a 'live course'. As LTC instructors, we are only permitted to teach our live courses face-to-face. Modern meeting technologies such as Skype, MS Teams, Zoom, etc. are not permitted.
I've called to ask the DPS whether this "no online meetings - only face-to-face" rule had been eased in light of our current social distancing guidelines, but they let me know the rules were unchanged. I assume they do not have the authority to ease this rule, and that decision can only be made at a higher level.
If this is something in your authority, I encourage you to consider the impact of allowing LTC instructors to teach via teleconference - at least for the near term future. This is good for many reasons:
Thank you for your time and consideration. I'm thankful to have your strong conservative leadership in Austin these days!
- More gun owners is good, but even better is more educated gun owners.
- Self-paced online learning is OK (i.e. meets the minimum standards), but live instructors able to answer a variety of questions have the ability to exceed these minimums.
- In our state of economic unrest, this allows 'live' LTC instructors the ability to generate a bit more income to support their families.
God bless, and keep well.