(Thanks to Colin Strother for cross-posting this piece from his blog! - promoted by Katherine Haenschen)
Republicans in the Texas Legislature and legislative bodies throughout the country are aggressively pursuing so-called "campus carry". Even vaunted institutions of reasonable gun policy like "Ammoland" are calling for campus carry to be added to the call for special session of the Texas Legislature.
Some backers of campus carry see it from an egocentric perspective: "If there was a shooter I would get my Jason Bourne on, whip out my 9 with laser sights and hollow points, and save the day". (Yeah, right.) Some see it as some homage to the 2nd Amendment (which has absolutely zero to do with this issue). And, others seem to think it makes them more of a man or more of a patriot to back all things that equal more guns, also known as 'Merica.
The arguments against campus carry center on the alcohol-fueled culture of college, the volatility of relationships and emotions among young people, the general irresponsibility of college kids, and what it says about our values if we think the best way to secure college campuses is a bunch of 20 year-old kids with zero law enforcement training.
Texas Lunch Links is a lunchtime buffet of Texas News and Views with a heavy emphasis on happenings at the Texas Legislature.
SPECIAL SESSION: Dallas Democratic Senator Royce West told a reporter from the Statesman on Thursday, "I think a special session is pretty much certain... The reason is that the attorney general wants the Legislature to approve the maps the courts have drawn for redistricting. There are a number of people (Democrats) who won't vote for that. (The Republicans) don't have the votes to get it through in the regular session, but they can push it through during a special session."
(This is urgent. Please take a few minutes and make a quick call. - promoted by Katherine Haenschen)
We need your help protecting Texas’ colleges. This is urgent.
Republicans in the Texas Senate are pushing a dangerous bill — the so-called “Campus Carry bill” — that would reverse a decades-old ban on weapons in our college campuses.
We need your calls today to stop this bill. Call your senator right now and tell them to vote to vote “NO” on the “Campus Carry” bill.
At the start of this year, Texas Democrats convened a Task Force for Common Sense on Gun Violence.
Our findings after collaborating with community leaders, mental health experts, gun owners, hunters, and educators? Banning guns on college campuses is common sense gun control, except when those firearms are possessed or carried by certified peace officers.
The Task Force was firmly against lifting the ban. So are we.
Can you call your senator right now? We need to remind Democrats AND Republicans that Texans don’t want to see this ban lifted.
Texas Lunch Links is a lunchtime buffet of Texas News and Views with a heavy emphasis on happenings at the Texas Legislature.
TORNADOES: An estimated 10 tornadoes ripped through north Texas on Wednesday, devastating entire neighborhoods, injuring dozens and killing at least six people.
WEST, TEXAS: The folks at the Texas Tribune have produced a great interactive map of the known 110 facilities that work with ammonium nitrate in Texas, along with esimates of those facilities' proximity to schools and hospitals.
Texas Lunch Links is a lunchtime buffet of Texas News and Views with a heavy emphasis on happenings at the Texas Legislature.
BUDGET: Lawmakers seem to be nearing an agreement a budget deal that includes $2 billion for a new state water fund and reverses some education spending cuts.
STEVE HOTZE, POP STAR: Steve Hotze, a big Republican donor out of Houston who last week announced that he would challenge the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, has released two self-recorded songs about his opposition to federal health reforms. Visit the Texas Tribune to sing along to catchy lyrics of original genius like, "We will defeat Obama and the socialists".
BICYCLES: The Houston City Council unanimously passed a "safe passing" ordinance that requires drivers to give vulnerable road users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, disabled travelers, highway utility workers and tow truck drivers, three feet of space while passing.
GUNS: Shortly after Houston Senator John Whitmire effectivelydeclared a campus-carry bill dead on arrival to his Senate Criminal Justice Committee, it looks like the long-serving Houston Democrat may now allow a modified campus-carry bill to have a hearing. The modified bill would allow public universities to opt out of allowing campus-carry.
Texas Lunch Links is a lunchtime buffet of Texas News and Views with a heavy emphasis on happenings at the Texas Legislature.
WATER: Groundwater in Texas' major aquifers dropped significantly between 2010 and 2011 as a result of drought conditions, and groundwater levels are expected to continue declining.
FRACKING: Texas counties are seeking more authority to regulate the location of fracking water disposal wells and searching for ways to mitigate environmental damage that might be caused by the disposal of frack water.
EDUCATION: The Texas Senate approved a big education bill on Monday. Differences between the bill and its House companion still have to be ironed out.
AUSTIN SCHOOL BONDS: Today is the last day to early vote in May elections across Texas, and Austin Independent School District has four bonds for consideration on the ballot. Burnt Orange Report has endorsed all four propositions. The Committee for Austin's Children produced the following ad supporting AISD bonds 1-4.
Texas Lunch Links is a lunchtime buffet of interesting Texas News and Views with a heavy emphasis on happenings at the Texas Legislature.
OBAMACARE:Texas will probably get a mere $8 million from the federal government to spend on enrolling about 5 million uninsured people. That's less than $2 per uninsured resident, compared with about $31 per person in Maryland.
OUR BROKEN POLITICAL SYSTEM: The Last week, the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board wrote, "if we, as a people, are serious about finding common ground on guns and other divisive issues, it will behoove us to make changes in our political system far away from those battles that turn us into sworn enemies and tie us in knots."
PRISON BAILOUT: New York bondholders may stand to benefit the most from an expensive and controversial proposal to buy prisons the state doesn't need and doesn't want.
DAWSON STATE JAIL SUED: In related prison news, for-profit prison operator Corrections Corporation of America is being sued by the Texas Civil Rights Project and Prison Legal News for "patterns of uncoscionable and unconstitutional conditions" at Dawson State Jail. Dawson State jail is one of the private prison facilities Texas lawmakers are considering bailing out by buying up.
BEVO THE DRAGON: Members of the Women in Aerospace for Leadership and Development (WIALD) student organization of the University of Texas at Austin launched a weather balloon dubbed "Bevo the Dragon" earlier this week. Watch a fun video of their launch below the fold.
Republicans in the Texas Legislature and legislative bodies throughout the country are aggressively pursuing so-called "campus carry". Even vaunted institutions of reasonable gun policy like "Ammoland" are calling for campus carry to be added to the call for special session of the Texas Legislature.
Texas Lunch Links is a lunchtime buffet of Texas News and Views with a heavy emphasis on happenings at the Texas Legislature.
Texas Lunch Links is a lunchtime buffet of interesting Texas News and Views with a heavy emphasis on happenings at the Texas Legislature.
Texas Lunch Links is a lunchtime buffet of interesting Texas News and Views with a heavy emphasis on happenings at the Texas Legislature.
Texas Lunch Links is a lunchtime buffet of interesting Texas News and Views with a heavy emphasis on happenings at the Texas Legislature.
