Lack of support kills HB 2021, Parking lot bill

[C. Richard Archie]

Not if Evans pulls his Bill from consideration, there will be no floor vote.

That appears to be the direction this is going, the Legislators have decided NOT to have an accounting, knowing that to do so will be remembered in the next election.

They are hoping that the economy and the TEA will consume the attention of the electorate, and that we are not smart enough to remember being tossed aside upon entry to the voting booth next time.

[Sky King]

[C. Richard Archie]

[Sky King]

[Sky King]

Ok, I just spent the last hour on the phone and writing emails. I have called Gov. Haslam, Lt. Gov. Ramsey, Senator Campfield, Rep, Judd Matheny and Rep. Joshua Evans. I asked Gov. Haslam and Lt. Gov Ramsey to use the influence of their respective offices to push these bills as origionally written. In all the emails, I put a link to a press release where Gov. Haslam and Lt. Gov. Ramsey come out in support of this legislation as origionally written.

HB2021 is set to be heard on the House floor tomorrow, Wednesday the 27th. Representative Joshua Evans needs to be convinced that his commitment to the other members to not push the bill as origionally written in return for their support has been fulfilled. If the amendment by Eddie Bass to return the bill to its origional intent is presented and passes, Rep. Evans has kept his word. However, Rep. Evans has said that he will withdraw the bill if there is any attempt to amend the bill back. My message to Rep. Evans, "let the process run its course, you have kept your word".

[C. Richard Archie]

On the floor of the House today, Rep. Eddie Bass offered his amendment, and upon Evans seeking to table that amendment which vote failed, he immediately withdrew the Bill and sent it back to committee prior to a floor vote on the amendment to put the Bill back to it's original intent. Floor vote to table Bass's amendment was 51-39 to not table.

Appears the Bill is dead for this year, as there are no further Judiciary committee meetings scheduled.

[Sky King]

[C. Richard Archie]

From what I have been able to discern, the Bill has been referred back to the Judiciary Committee for the last session of the year next week.

It has been run over by several double pup semis, and apparently a cargo plane crashed on it as well, but, the carcass, while on life support is still breathing on a ventilator.

I for one, will continue to advocate for it to be transferred to the trauma unit instead of pulling the plug.

[Sky King]

[Sky King]

I don't know how many of you have used the TFA formatted letter to the members of The General Assembly in support of this bill but I for one just received in my email three responses from Stacy Campfield. I guess you could say that turnabout is fair play because the three responses were the exact same letter. Even though the emails I sent him were different, all the responses were the same. It does make me wonder if he even read the emails or just saw the subject line and instructed his assistant to respond to all with the same email. In any case, here is what he sent me:

While I am the original senate sponsor of the guns in parking lots bill in the senate, the house sponsor has told me the votes are not there to pass it as originally drafted through the house judiciary committee. He made a commitment to weaken it and pass a version that would protect property owners from lawsuits if they did allow guns on their property to get it out. It passed with the understanding that if it returned to its original form he would kill his own bill. He agreed. When it got to the house floor it was amended back to its original form but the sponsor stuck to his word and had to kill his own bill.

Without a live house bill the senate bill for all intense and purposes is dead as well. Sorry.

On a brighter note, my bill to allow faculty and staff to carry on state university property is still alive and coming up in the senate judiciary committee. Any support you could give would be appreciated.

Yours in service,

Sen. Stacey Campfield

I guess on the bright side the technically the House bill is not dead, so to use his own logic, that would mean that his Senate bill is also not dead. If we can by some miracle, revive the House bill this Tuesday, Mr. Campfield would have to move his bill as well. Time to crank up those emails and phone calls to the House members again.

If it were not for the fact that I am actually in favor of the campus carry issue, I would be tempted to write back to Mr. Campfield that one hand washes the other. In his email, he asks for our support on the campus carry bill, to utilize what is apparently a common tactic in legislative circles, if you want me to support your issue, I expect you to support mine.