Texas: Setting the Record Straight On "Red Flag" Legislation

Contact Your State Lawmakers In Opposition to House Bill 131 & Senate Bill 157

Over the holiday weekend, a conservative "taxpayer watchdog" group sent out an email to its contact list which gave the impression that NRA-ILA does not oppose "red flag" legislation in Texas. One wonders what the organization hoped to accomplish by confusing and attempting to divide the gun community in this way.

Let's set the record straight:

NRA-ILA submitted written testimony to the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence at their June 25, 2018 interim hearing on red flag legislation, questioning the need for any additional statutes in Texas to address dangerous persons with mental illnesses having access to firearms, and outlining our opposition to red flag bills in other states that were considering such proposals at the time.

NRA-ILA provided verbal testimony in opposition to red flag legislation, raising the same points, during the July 24, 2018 hearing held before the Senate Select Committee on Violence in Schools & School Security.

NRA-ILA alerted its membership to the introduction of anti-gun legislation, including proposed red flag measures House Bill 131 by Rep. Joe Moody (D-El Paso) and Senate Bill 157 by Sen. Jose Rodriguez (D-El Paso), prior to the Texas Legislature convening or the bills even receiving a committee referral.

NRA-ILA strongly opposes HB 131 and SB 157. These bills could allow a court to require an individual to surrender firearms to law enforcement, based on statements made by a petitioner in an ex parte proceeding -- before any formal hearing with the opportunity to be represented by counsel and present counter-evidence -- and even though they may not have committed or even threatened to commit any unlawful or violent act. Someone could be stripped of their Second Amendment rights without due process, without being taken into custody for any criminal offense or without being required to undergo evaluation for treatment by a mental health professional.

Please contact your State Representatives and urge them to OPPOSE House Bill 131. Please also contact your State Senators and urge them to OPPOSE SB 157. NRA-ILA will notify you when a public hearing is set on either of these measures.

Urge Your Representatives to Oppose Red Flag Legislation, House Bill 131

House Bill 131 could allow a court to require an individual to surrender firearms to law enforcement, based on statements made by a petitioner in an ex parte proceeding -- before any formal hearing with the opportunity to be represented by counsel and present counter-evidence -- and even though they may not have committed or even threatened to commit any unlawful or violent act. Someone could be stripped of their Second Amendment rights without due process, without being taken into custody for any criminal offense or without being required to undergo evaluation for treatment by a mental health professional.

Two Texas State representatives have recently introduced legislative bills which are now commonly referred to as “Red-Flag” Anti-gun legislation.

These “Red-Flag” bills are generally hidden and disguised as some form of “protective” measures aimed at “protecting” family members and neighbors from someone who is reported as be a potential danger either to themselves or to others. Anyone can be reported by virtually anyone as being potentially dangerous or as posing a potential hazard either to themselves or to others.

Any time someone (anyone) doesn't like your looks, or something you said or wrote on some social media or perhaps they claimed they heard you say something, all they have to do is call the State police, Local Sheriff's department, or your local city police department and turn in a “complaint”.
In most States this can even be done Anonymously, they don't even have to identify themselves.

This of course should be considered to be a violation of your Constitutional rights.
These types of laws violate your IV amendment rights to be secure in your own home, persons, and papers against unreasonable searches or seizures.

Your Vth Amendment rights: “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces , or in militia when in actual service in time of War.”,,,

Vi Amendment; The right to face your accusers, to SEE who is making the accusations against you.

And finally of course your II Amendment right to bear arms.

These so-called “Red-Flag” laws violate all of your rights to self defense, the right to defend your family, and virtually every law of privacy you can imagine.

In reference to the recent laws introduced in Texas, image where Texas would be if the 176 men who stood at the Alamo had not had their guns. Texas would still be a part of Mexico and would not even exist had it not been for those men who were willing and able to stand and fight. It is by virtue of the men and their weapons that these two Texas legislature representatives are able to stand in opposition to those weapons.

In fact the United States of America itself would not exist as a free and sovereign Nation had it not been for those men who were willing and Armed and able to stand against the British Army . Over three million good men and women have stood to fight for these people's rights to now try to take our weapons and our rights away from all of us.

If it hadn't been for the men and women that fought for this country and our freedoms these Texas representatives wouldn't even be alive today.

Replies

Oldrooster February 19, 2019 at 4:28pm

Texans: DO NOT ALLOW THESE DEMOCRATS TO TURN TEXAS INTO CALIFORNIA OR NEW YORK;
Contact YOUR Texas representatives and TELL THEM TO VOTE NO ON THESE 'RED-FLAG' BILLS.

https://capitol.texas.gov/

TLO

Website for the Texas Legislature. Provides information on legislation, committees, house, and senate.
Oldrooster February 19, 2019 at 5:08pm

Here is a link to the House bill #H.B. 131
https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=86R&B...

And Here is a link to the Senate bill # S.B. 157.
https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=86R&B...

Texas Legislature Online - 86(R) History for HB 131
Oldrooster February 19, 2019 at 8:23pm

Two Texas State representatives have recently introduced legislative bills which are now commonly referred to as “Red-Flag” Anti-gun legislation.

These “Red-Flag” bills are generally hidden and disguised as some form of “protective” measures aimed at “protecting” family members and neighbors from someone who is reported as be a potential danger either to themselves or to others. Anyone can be reported by virtually anyone as being potentially dangerous or as posing a potential hazard either to themselves or to others.

Any time someone (anyone) doesn't like your looks, or something you said or wrote on some social media or perhaps they claimed they heard you say something, all they have to do is call the State police, Local Sheriff's department, or your local city police department and turn in a “complaint”.
In most States this can even be done Anonymously, they don't even have to identify themselves.

This of course should be considered to be a violation of your Constitutional rights.
These types of laws violate your IV amendment rights to be secure in your own home, persons, and papers against unreasonable searches or seizures.

Your Vth Amendment rights: “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces , or in militia when in actual service in time of War.”,,,

Vi Amendment; The right to face your accusers, to SEE who is making the accusations against you.

And finally of course your II Amendment right to bear arms.

These so-called “Red-Flag” laws violate all of your rights to self defense, the right to defend your family, and virtually every law of privacy you can imagine.

In reference to the recent laws introduced in Texas, image where Texas would be if the 176 men who stood at the Alamo had not had their guns. Texas would still be a part of Mexico and would not even exist had it not been for those men who were willing and able to stand and fight. It is by virtue of the men and their weapons that these two Texas legislature representatives are able to stand in opposition to those weapons.

In fact the United States of America itself would not exist as a free and sovereign Nation had it not been for those men who were willing and Armed and able to stand against the British Army . Over three million good men and women have stood to fight for these people's rights to now try to take our weapons and our rights away from all of us.

If it hadn't been for the men and women that fought for this country and our freedoms these Texas representatives wouldn't even be alive today.

This reply was deleted.

PFA Forum