Democrats campaigned on making life more affordable. Yet among their first filings for the next Texas legislative session are proposals to put new restrictions on gun owners.
The NRA reports that roughly 35 firearm-related bills were filed on November 9, the first day of prefiling, with most aimed at restricting Second Amendment rights.
The party you vote for is the government you will get. A candidate may ask you to look past the party label. The legislation tells you what that label means.
HB 218 would allow a temporary red-flag order requiring firearm surrender without prior notice or a hearing, with a hearing to follow. I oppose it. Due process must not become an afterthought.
HB 613 would require licensed-dealer background checks for private firearm transfers. I oppose adding government hurdles for people legally entitled to own a firearm.
These are proposals, not laws. They deserve public scrutiny now.
In her October 21 New Yorker interview, Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa said: “What you call constitutional carry, I call permitless carry, and I think people should have a background check to carry a gun.”
Texas law allows eligible adults to carry a handgun openly in a holster or concealed without a state license, subject to legal restrictions. I support that right.
I am a conservative, law-and-order Sheriff. When someone uses a gun to commit a violent crime, I support holding that person accountable. That is different from putting new burdens on a peaceful law-abiding citizen protecting their family.
The Second Amendment says, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Defending that right and enforcing the law are not competing duties.
I will oppose unconstitutional restrictions and support court challenges to laws that violate our rights. I will carry out my duties under the Constitution and binding court rulings.
To the people of Guadalupe County: I took an oath to protect your constitutional rights. A change in the Governor’s Mansion does not change that oath.