Insult to Injury: Constitutional Carry Killed Again in Texas
Jose Nino
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On April 17, 2019, the hopes of making Texas the next Constitutional Carry state were dashed again.
BLP reported how Constitutional Carry was dead last week after House Speaker Dennis Bonnen killed the pro-gun legislation in response to an alleged threat from a political activist.
However, BLP proved this to be demonstrably false, as Chris McNutt, the activist in question, peacefully block-walked multiple districts and never even dropped by Bonnen’s house.
In a final attempt to make Texas the 17th Constitutional Carry state, State Representative Jonathan Stickland tried to tack on a Constitutional Carry amendment to HB 1177. Under HB 1177, a person would be able to carry a handgun without a license in an area with a disaster declaration.
Stickland’s move was a last-ditch effort to get a vote on Constitutional Carry. When a point of order was raised on this amendment, Bonnen rejected the amendment, declaring that it was “not germane”. Pro-gun organization Lone Start Gun rights declared that “Bonnen had the chance to do the right thing, and failed again.” According to some report, Bonnen’s move to kill Constitutional Carry in this instance was similar to the way he killed it in 2015, where he also ruled that an amendment was “not germane”.
When asked about this situation, Texas Gun Rights Executive Director Chris McNutt told BLP that “Texas House leadership continues spitting in the face of pro-gun Texans” by not passing Constitutional Carry.
Since the surprising performance of Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke in 2018, Texas Republicans in the state legislature have been shaken up a bit.
Instead of trying to pass policies that would be popular among their constituents like Constitutional Carry, they have become more moderate in their actions.
In fact, the Texas political class is now possibly considering a tax hike of all things.
In previous interviews, Lone Star Gun Rights activists have said that Republicans in Austin can’t continue to be complacent and ignore the demands of the Texas Republican Party platform, which calls for Constitutional Carry.
Since 2018, gun control has had a new life across the nation with states like Florida and a formerly pro-gun state like Vermont falling to anti-gun pressure.
Could the same scenario happen in Texas?
It seems unlikely in the short term. but time will only tell.
One thing is certain, 2019 has been a disappointing year for gun rights activists in Texas.
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