Local Texas Governments Defy Law to Protect Gun Bans

Ammoland ^ | 20 April, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

In 2015, the Texas legislature passed a change in Texas statutes that prohibited government entities from posting signs to ban people who legally carried guns in areas where they are not banned by Texas law.  From the Texas statute 411.209:

(a)  A state agency or a political subdivision of the state may not provide notice by a communication described by Section 30.06, Penal Code, or by any sign expressly referring to that law or to a concealed handgun license, that a license holder carrying a handgun under the authority of this subchapter is prohibited from entering or remaining on a premises or other place owned or leased by the governmental entity unless license holders are prohibited from carrying a handgun on the premises or other place by Section 46.03 or 46.035, Penal Code.

Exceptions to the law are listed in Section 46.03 or 46.035.  Among the exceptions are courthouses.

During the United States occupation of Iraq, the Green Zone became famous.  It was a heavily fortified zone with limited entrances.  People coming into the Zone were searched for weapons and contraband to reduce attacks on people inside of the zone.  It appears that some Texas polities are attempting to test if they can create their own “Green Zones” if they have a court hold occasional hearings inside of their administrative complexes, declaring the entire administrative complex a “courthouse”.  McLennan  County is one such entity.

[marktwain]

Gun Free zones are designed to be like a smallpox virus, to spread and grow, and cover entire areas, making it practically impossible to exercise Second Amendment rights.

[Still Thinking]

The courthouse exemption is already an accommodation to any with legitimate concerns. If they won't play nice and choose to manipulate the situation, just take away the accommodation. Not only can this go unanswered, but there needs to be a penalty; they need to end up worse off, from their point of view, than if they'd done the right thing.

[Still Thinking]

...can this NOT go unanswered...

[ASA Vet]

Will the Texas State Attorney issue an arrest warrant for the local officials involved in this violation of Texas Citizens Civil rights. Send in the Texas Rangers to make the arrests.

[eyeamok]

Why doesn’t the Attorney General just ARREST ALL OF THEM, Hold them without bail for being a Danger to the Community, and prosecute them ALL.???

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Always amazed me that no public guns in a courthouse has almost been universally accepted for centuries and the number of courthouse shootings is still not next to zero. I know they don’t happen frequently but they’re still noticeable. If gun really control worked, there should be only a couple of incidents of courthouse shootings in our history.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Correction. I meant “If gun control really worked,”. Sorry.

[yoe]

(Exceptions to the law are listed in Section 46.03 or 46.035.)

[marktwain]

There is a procedure in the law to gain compliance. The AG is following the procedure.

Some local governments are likely to challenge the law in the courts.

[progunner]

And the end result,,,, MASS SHOOTINGS

[HWGruene]

Seems to me the DA IS AFRAID of law abiding citizens that own and carry firearms.
Obviously he’s afraid that his corruption will be found out and he might get shot, and justly so.