Contact Key Senate Committee Members on NRA-Backed "Car Carry" Bill
HB 823 by Representative Terry Keel (R-Austin) & Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D-McAllen) has passed the Texas House and been referred to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. HB 823 would take significant steps toward legalizing the carrying of a handgun in your car without a Concealed Handgun License (CHL). Currently, it is a "defense to prosecution" to carry if you are "traveling." "Traveling" is not defined anywhere in law. And a "defense to prosecution" means that you can still be arrested and charged with unlawful carry, and you'd have to hire an attorney to submit evidence to convince a judge and jury that you were "traveling." HB 823 states law-abiding citizens would be presumed to be "traveling" if you were in your car, not otherwise engaged in criminal activity, and not otherwise prohibited from possessing the handgun under state or federal law. HB 823 has not yet been set for a hearing in the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, and similar proposals have died in this committee in previous sessions. It is critical that you contact the committee members below and urge them to support HB 823:
Senator John Whitmire, Chairman (D-Houston)
512-463-0115
john.whitmire@senate.state.tx.us
Senator Kel Seliger, Vice-Chairman (R-Amarillo)
512-463-0131
kel.seliger@senate.state.tx.us
Senator John Carona (R-Dallas)
512-463-0116
john.carona@senate.state.tx.us
Senator Rodney Ellis (D-Houston)
512-463-0113
rodney.ellis@senate.state.tx.us
Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa (D-McAllen)
512-463-0120
juan.hinojosa@senate.state.tx.us
Senator Steve Ogden (R-Bryan)
512-463-0105
steve.ogden@senate.state.tx.us
Senator Tommy Williams (R-The Woodlands)
512-463-0104
tommy.williams@senate.state.tx.us
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