It begins. I'm here with a ton of @MomsDemand volunteers at #txlege for the Senate Special Committee for Constitutional issues (or something like that, it's a made-up panel). They're hearing #HB1927, which will allow people to carry handguns in public without a license to carry.

We start off with @DrSchwertner laying out the bill. He's told us he has 6 amendments coming, but first we are listening to @SenatorLucio ask some VERY VALID questions. Notes that this bill puts police officers in danger. As I've noted, you can't #BackTheBlue & support this bill.

Apologies, it was @TxChuy asking questions first. My bad.

Now we have @SenatorLucio also expressing his concern about how this endangers law enforcement. That will be a big theme of the day today.

Also got on the topic of displaying rifles in your car.

. @SenatorLucio is looking for statistics on what has happened in other states with permitless carry. He'll get his answers when @MomsDemand volunteers start to testify. We data. https://everystat.org/ 

. @SenCreighton wasted some time with self-congratulations for the committee being so awesome.

. @senatorbirdwell reading off the Texas Constitution's section on the right to bear arms - which states that the legislature CAN regulate the bearing of arms. Also spouting the "criminals gonna crime" and quoting scripture.

I'm gonna run out of eye-roll gifs, y'all.

. @SenatorLucio pointing out that this will just lead to a bunch of untrained people who never practice running all over the state with their guns.

. @SenatorLucio points out that our LTC system doesn't take away anyone's rights. @drschwertner agrees and says it is a "hurdle" that some people can't - or more accurately DON'T WANT TO - have to deal with.

Here come amendments from @drschwertner.
1. An offense for carrying while intoxicated
2. Abolish LTC fees for people who want one
3. Says LEO can't stop someone for carrying
4. Something about domestic abusers
5. Allow prohibited places to do something
6. A free online class

NRA lady talked about "rights."

Gun Owners of America lady is so glad the members of this committee are open and willing to listen.

Are we in the same room? They walked in and said that they were passing this out of the committee today.

Everyone FOR this bill is quoting data from the debunked "researcher" John Lott.

"Lott falls apart with any amount of criticism, and his discredited research should not be considered a credible source on gun violence." https://www.mediamatters.org/john-lott/discredited-pro-gun-researcher-john-lott-falls-apart-when-you-press-him

Houston Police Association has moved from No to Neutral due to the amendments. There are some other amendments they'd like to see. The base bill is still a hard NO.

My Senator, @DrBuckinghamTX, is crowing about how all of the people on the dais support law enforcement sooooo much.

(Until it becomes politically inconvenient when you're scared of being primaried by extremists.)

People keep saying that when TX passed concealed carry, "Nothing happened." When TX passed open carry, "Nothing happened."

What Texas do these people live in? I live in the real world, where TEXAS LEADS IN MASS SHOOTINGS.

LTC instructor: "Constitutional carry is an erroneously named bill." "It's a gimmick." Designed to "excite the base."

An FFL and instructor against #HB1927.
He's stating the shouldn't-need-to-be-stated that "training is important."

I'm curious how many of these men who carry to "protect their family" have asked their family if they want them to carry a handgun.

If a wife happened to ask him not to carry, do we think he'd honor that request, or does he know better than her?

Loving all these older, gun-owning, white dudes who, like my own staunchly Republican dad, think this is insanity.

"The solution to fire is not more gasoline."

If you do not have the TIME, ENERGY, OR MONEY to take an LTC class, but you did have the TIME, ENERGY, & MONEY to go buy a gun, then, at best, you are a poor planner. At worst, you are a criminal. But most likely, you're just a dick who doesn't want to have to follow any rules.

I think the guy up now just said that requiring a permit is the equivalent of being in the KKK?

Loved my friend Mary's testimony:
"What war are we fighting? When does it end?"

The pastor who just finished basically boiled it down to WWJD?

Current pastor up is also opposed to permitless carry. His son is in law enforcement. So he's a double-whammy witness.

We're getting into some @MomsDemand volunteer testimony now. It's about to get LIT.

Here’s @mamamakesthree

It’s me!

I'm falling behind, but we've had a number more people from @MomsDemand go up to testify.
(Normally, we don't encourage every person to testify, but we decided we should all be heard this time.)

So many of the people who have shown up today to oppose #HB1927 have come from ALL over the state. They've driven in from El Paso, Galveston, north Texas, etc. It's that important to everyone to make sure people who carry are trained.

We've got Madeline from @mfoltx! She's talking about the active shooter drills she's lived through in @ConroeISD, the same schools that committee member @SenCreighton attended before lockdown drills were a thing. (Also the same schools I attended through 8th grade!) Go Tigers!

Everybody's so worried about poor people who can't afford a fee. And also for us ladies who are too busy to go take a class. It's all seemed, shall we say, disingenuous?

Great question: Will @oracle, @tesla, and @apple be able to attract the best talent, if people don't want to move to Texas due to our out-of-control fetishization of guns?