RPT 2010 Platform

The Republican Party of Texas (RPT) has an excellent plank on page 15 of the 2010 Platform:

PROMOTING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND PERSONAL SAFETY

Right to Keep and Bear Arms - We urge the Legislature and Congress to repeal all laws that infringe on the right to bear arms, and to reject any monitoring of gun ownership, and all specific taxation or regulation of guns and ammunition. We support a ten-year mandatory minimum sentence, without parole, for felonies committed with firearms. Stiff penalties should be enacted for frivolous lawsuits against legitimate firearm manufacturers. All gun owners are responsible for safely storing and operating firearms. We believe the Legislature should enact legislation preventing employers from prohibiting Concealed Handgun License (CHL) holders from storing their concealed handgun in their vehicle while on a company parking area, and removing civil liability from property owners who do not prevent CHL holders from carrying on their premises. We believe that Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders should be free from harassment, and license revocations and denials against firearm dealers based on violations consisting of largely inconsequential record-keeping errors and encourages the ATF to consider lesser gradation of sanctions for such errors. Firearms and ammunition manufactured and sold in the state of Texas are not covered under the Commerce Clause and therefore are not subject to Federal regulation. We support "open carry" in the State of Texas and we oppose "Gun Free Zones."

Lets re-read those last three sentences- especially the second:

• "We believe that Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders should be free from harassment, and license revocations and denials against firearm dealers based on violations consisting of largely inconsequential record-keeping errors and encourages the ATF to consider lesser gradation of sanctions for such errors."
• "Firearms and ammunition manufactured and sold in the state of Texas are not covered under the Commerce Clause and therefore are not subject to Federal regulation."
• "We support “open carry” in the State of Texas and we oppose 'Gun Free Zones.'"

I understand that a three page version of that second sentence which was basically Montana's Firearms Freedom Act and modified specifically to Texas history, the Texas Constitution of 1872 which brought Texas into the Union (notice I specified Union- not Republic), and Texas law as a submission to the Platform Committee. I tip my hat to that Committee Member who so elegantly turned three pages into that one sentence.

I also laud the committee for PROMOTING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM AND PERSONAL SAFETY.

WP