Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, introduced the legislation to bar businesses from adopting gun-free zones for their employees. The law would allow employees to store legal firearms and ammunition in their locked vehicles outside their place of work. The law mirrors a controversial law in Florida. Arkansas, however, recently moved to guarantee the right to pack heat in church.
Hegar explained that “People like their firearms in Texas, and if they want to bring them to the workplace, they are going to do it whether there is a policy or not.”
That was certainly the case two years ago at the Johnson Space Center in Houston when an engineer brought a handgun into a NASA office building – in violation of NASA policies – and shot and killed another engineer. He then killed himself.
On the serious side, the denial of the right to carry firearms in vehicles may now raise some constitutional questions in light of the ruling on the second amendment last term (which I supported as a matter of constitutional interpretation). States will have to shoulder a high burden to support restrictive laws. However, the Court did say that restrictions would be allowed on this constitutional right.
There was one clarifying moment. Before voting for the measure, Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, said he was concerned that the law might allow dynamite or another explosive to be brought to a workplace. Hegar, however, clarify that (at least for now) “you are not able to have dynamite in your car. Dynamite is not ammunition.”
That will lead to an objection from the National Dynamite Association. After all, dynamite does not kill people, people kill people. Personally, I use dynamite to entertain my children at birthdays and to protect my home. I find that tossing a stick of dynamite out the window has a far greater impact on burglars than waving some wimpy handgun. I also like to use dynamite to hunt deer and ducks. It is also ideal for fishing — resulting in hundreds of fish gently floating to the surface after the concussion.
The question is when Texas liberals are going to stop blaming those of us who use dynamite responsibly and allow us to enjoy the same rights as other sportsmen.
For the full story, click here.