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A Texas bill allowing gun owners to carry firearms concealed without a license is now blocked indefinitely after a gun activist has made himself the lawyer of the law by tracking down the state legislators – even by showing up at their homes.
On Friday, Texas House President Dennis Bonnen announced his intention to drop the "constitutional report" bill after activist Chris McNutt showed up at his door and two other lawmakers.
McNutt, executive director of Texas Gun Rights, a non-profit organization, was reportedly outraged by the fact that the bill was not passed quickly by the legislature. He posted a series of rants on his group's Facebook page complaining of legislative inaction. He followed these publications with videos of himself visiting the neighborhoods of two Republican state lawmakers, representatives Dustin Burrows of Lubbock and Four Price of Amarillo.
McNutt's social media activity prompted Texas state soldiers to monitor Bonnen's home, the Houston Chronicle reported. Thus the authorities managed to intercept the activist when he tried to go to the speaker's home last week while Bonnen was about 200 km from the state capital in Austin. Bonnen's wife and teenage son were apparently at home.
On Friday, Bonnen described McNutt's actions as "intimidating tactics".
"The leader of a marginal organization traveled more than 700 km in 24 hours to visit the homes of lawmakers, knowing full well that the members were hundreds of miles from home while women and children were alone," said Bonnen in a statement.
McNutt's actions appear to have shaken several state lawmakers who say they no longer have any intention of following up on the controversial firearms bill.
Bill 357 would allow gun owners to carry a pistol, open or concealed, without a license. In February, President Poncho Nevárez, chair of the Texas Homeland Security Commission, announced his intention to hold a hearing on the bill before the end of the legislative session. In the light of recent events, however, Nevárez claims to have reconsidered its decision.
McNutt claims that Bonnen is guilty of "fabricating a media coup" against him and other grassroots defenders across Texas.
"If politicians like President Dennis Bonnen think they can stand at the doors of supporters of the second amendment and make promises to win votes during the election period, they should not be surprised when we show up in their wards. insist that they simply keep their promises in the legislative session, "he said, according to the Dallas Morning News.
The grassroots activists largely direct the constitutional restraint movement
There has been a wave of so-called constitutional laws on portering or "unlicensed permits" that have swept the United States in recent years. The laws allow firearms owners to carry firearms, whether hidden or not, anywhere in public without first obtaining a license or special training.
No less than 20 states have considered measures to remove restrictions on the possession of firearms. South Dakota became the last state to pass a law of this type earlier this year and now allows its citizens to carry weapons without permission. Legislators in Kentucky and Oklahoma have proposed measures to remove licensing and training requirements in February.
According to The Trace, a not-for-profit news site that focuses exclusively on guns and gun violence, local activists in every state are largely behind the movement to expand the right to the concealed port .
Many gun rights activists believe that any limitation on the right of gun owners to carry firearms, whether in public or private spaces, is a flagrant violation of the Second Amendment. The success of lobbying for the adoption of constitutional laws has strengthened gun rights, to the extent that their lobbying efforts have even begun to eclipse those of the National Rifle Association. Adam Weinstein of the Trace explains:
While the country's largest firearms lobby defends the latest bills in its press releases, local lobbyists who over-interpret the NRA's absolutist rhetoric are clashing with its business model of working hand in hand with politicians.
The resulting frictions have fueled the upheaval that has occurred in gun politics (and American conservatism as a whole) since the rise of the Tea Party, which has often allowed the NRA to follow rather than direct the extremes. emboldened by his coalition. Activists from several states told The Trace that the NRA – who did not respond to requests for comment from this story – did not help their cause. In one state, they point to direct evidence that the NRA has undermined their proposals.
The efforts of pro-gun activists are beginning to bear fruit. Prior to 2010, only two states allowed the use of concealed firearms in public spaces without permits or specific training. At present, more than a dozen people have constitutional laws in effect. But as legislators have said this week, Texas is unlikely to join their numbers soon.
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