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Important Knife Reform Bottled up by Texas Senate State Affairs Committee (HB 956)
AmmoLand ^ | 22 May, 2021 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 05/25/2021 3:38:27 AM PDT by marktwain

U.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)- Why are Texas Senate Republicans slowing a bill supported by most House Democrats and all House Republicans?

In 2017, the Texas legislature passed a sweeping knife reform bill. It removed the criminal penalties for carrying most knives in Texas.  Because of a tragic and illegal knife attack on a college campus, at the last minute, amendments were added to the bill to make the possession of knives with a blade over 5.5 inches illegal in a small number of locations.

This meant numerous people were kept at risk of arrest for using ordinary implements of the job, such as gardeners using knives to trim with or cooks using knives to prepare food in locations where 51% of the income came from liquor sales, or on campus.

A cleanup bill to remove these restrictions passed the Senate in 2019, unanimously.  It ultimately died in the House when the session ended without a vote on the Bill.

It passed the House this year (2021), with only two Democrats against it.

The bill is now stalled in the Senate State Affairs Committee.

During recent testimony at the committee, objections were raised by Senator Eddie Lucio, wondering if any innocent person had ever been victimized or arrested because of a ban of knives with blades larger than 5.5 inches in such circumstances.

I recall exactly such an instance, as related to me by college friends of my daughter at Texas A&M University, about 2005.

One of the members of their “in” group of nerdy computer geeks was at a Science Fiction Convention, in March of the year. He purchased a replica sword at the convention, which was held on campus. The campus is one of the restricted places and 5.5 inch+ knives are still banned is on

(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: banglist; knifelaw; stateaffairs; texas; tx
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The Texas Senate has been preoccupied with the Constitutional Carry bill, HB 1927, which just passed and will be sent to the legislature.

But HB 956 is stalled in the State Affairs Committee and will die without intervention.

1 posted on 05/25/2021 3:38:27 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

I will gladly take the permit-less carry bill.

Knife reform next year.


2 posted on 05/25/2021 3:43:04 AM PDT by riverrunner
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To: marktwain

When will they address the 3/4 inch galvanized pipe/club problem?


3 posted on 05/25/2021 3:51:22 AM PDT by HighSierra5
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To: marktwain

Jim Bowie must be turning over in his grave.


4 posted on 05/25/2021 4:08:58 AM PDT by Vaquero ( Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you. )
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To: marktwain

Actually, the Constitutional Carry bill has cleared all its legislative hurdles and is now on its way to Abbott’s desk. Same with the Sanctuary State bill which will prevent future tinkering with gun laws should all the Californians relocating to Texas relapse back to their old voting habits.


5 posted on 05/25/2021 4:24:16 AM PDT by snoringbear (,W,E.oGovernment is the Pimp, )
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To: Vaquero
After Texas was conquered in the Civil War, they lost the right to bear arms.

It was only partially restored at the end of Reconstruction.

How Texans Lost the Right to Bear Handguns (and Bowie knives)

6 posted on 05/25/2021 4:27:10 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries. )
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To: snoringbear

“...should all the Californians relocating to Texas relapse back to their old voting habits.”

Just keep ‘em corralled up around Austin and the poison can’t spread.


7 posted on 05/25/2021 4:29:19 AM PDT by HKMk23 (INADEQUACY: If this keeps up, we may not be able to let you help us anymore.)
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To: snoringbear
Actually, the Constitutional Carry bill has cleared all its legislative hurdles and is now on its way to Abbott’s desk.

Almost. There are a few administrative details that need to be completed before it goes to Governor Abbott.

The bill has to be enrolled (checked to make sure everything is correct), signed off on by the Speaker and the Lt. Governor, and then formally sent to the Governor.

Barring extreme circumstances - invasion by the federal government or asteroid strike - It will become law on 1 September, 2021.

8 posted on 05/25/2021 4:30:43 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries. )
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To: HighSierra5
"When will they address the 3/4 inch galvanized pipe/club problem?"

Or, sharpened #2 pencils?

9 posted on 05/25/2021 4:39:54 AM PDT by blam
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To: marktwain

The 5.5 inch blade restriction is ridiculous. 8” is a standard size for chef’s knives (kind of like a standard capacity magazine). I’ve got 5 different ones (classic French profile and Santoku style etc) in my kitchen right now. In my “get home bag” in my car is an 8 inch K-Bar utility knife. In my camper I have a Gerber machete for hikes in more remote areas... These are fairly common items - all over an arbitrary 5.5” limit. They need to clean up the mess made previously.


10 posted on 05/25/2021 4:44:51 AM PDT by ThunderSleeps (Biden/Harris - illegitimate and everyone knows it.)
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To: marktwain
They missed a golden opportunity for a headline: Important Knife Reform Sheathed by Texas Senate State Affairs Committee (HB 956)
11 posted on 05/25/2021 4:52:34 AM PDT by Sawdring
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To: HKMk23

Hell they’re all corralled in Portland and Eugene but their politics goes all the way to the eastern border of Oregon. They don’t have to be spread out to destroy a state, they can do it from their urban anthills.


12 posted on 05/25/2021 4:58:46 AM PDT by Dusty Road (")
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To: ThunderSleeps
The 5.5 inch blade restriction is ridiculous.

It comes from the false theory the weapon is the danger, instead of the person behind it.

This is the core of Leftist thinking, at least publicly, on the issue. It ultimately stems from the idea that people are not responsible for what they do...

The entire basis for the United State is that people *are* responsible for what they do.

It is a major reason the Left hates the Constitution and Western Civilization so much.

They abhor the very concept of personal responsibility.

For what it is worth, the 5.5 inch blade limit is fairly generous, as far as states go. Many have a three or four inch limit.

Knife Rights has been doing marvelous work in rolling back the stupid knife bans.

13 posted on 05/25/2021 5:08:16 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries. )
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To: riverrunner

The Texas Legislature only convenes every other year and even that is limited to 6 months.

An exception is that the Governor can call a Special Session for some “situation” he deems important enough to do so.


14 posted on 05/25/2021 5:40:35 AM PDT by Cen-Tejas
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To: Cen-Tejas

Bkmk - Texas Legislature & session


15 posted on 05/25/2021 5:59:56 AM PDT by ptsal (Vote R.E.D. >>>Remove Every Democrat ***)
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To: ThunderSleeps
When I cut meat for a living I used a 6 inch boning knife and a 10 inch steak knife. Guess I would be in trouble now.
16 posted on 05/25/2021 6:42:46 AM PDT by 4yearlurker ("My brain has a mind of it's own!"-what my 8 year old granddaughter told me.)
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To: marktwain

“Reform”?

Odd word to use for totalitarianism.


17 posted on 05/25/2021 9:08:13 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: BenLurkin
“Reform”?

Odd word to use for totalitarianism.

You have lost me. To what are you referring?

18 posted on 05/25/2021 9:19:47 AM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries. )
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To: marktwain

To point out of stupid Texas knife laws are, you have to put a bayonet on the rifle in order to carry it outside. Together they’re fine, but otherwise you’re carrying an ‘illegal knife’.

Non-permit carry is a huge improvement, but needs to be all weapons, not just concealed pistols.


19 posted on 05/25/2021 9:24:30 AM PDT by Shadylake
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To: marktwain

Confused, I guess.

Looks like it’s time for my second pot of coffee.


20 posted on 05/25/2021 9:24:58 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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