3/18/2009

Texas considering letting permit holders take their guns to work

The Austin American-Statesman has this article:

A proposal that would allow Texans to come to work with a gun in their car sparked lively debate at a Senate committee hearing Tuesday.
Business interests said to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee that with a growing number of Texas workers getting laid off, some might start shooting if they had a gun stowed in their car. Proponents said that as crime grows with the deepening recession, they need a pistol to make it safely to and from work.
"Even though I've had a concealed handgun permit from the start ... I can't protect myself coming to and from work," said Dallas resident Stephen Johnson, a defense contractor employee, citing current law that allows employers to ban workers from bringing handguns onto their property — even if they hold a state concealed handgun permit.
State Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, the author of Senate Bill 730, said that despite the opposition, "having a weapon locked in your car does not mean it will be an unsafe work environment."
Business groups disagreed, at one point prompting a lively exchange with Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, a co-sponsor of the bill.
Luke Bellsnyder, executive director of the Texas Association o f Manufacturers, which represents 300 businesses that employ 900,000 Texans, said the measure would infringe on an employer's right to keep workers safe and set the rules on the property.
"It's a public safety issue," he said.
Patrick said: "To sit here and suggest this (bill) creates an unsafe environment is wrong. As an employer ... I think that argument is really weak." . . . .


Thanks very much to Richard F. Griffiths for providing me this link.

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2 Comments:

Blogger Harry Schell said...

When I had a shop in TX, two workmen were beaten to death about half a mile away over a holiday weekend (for their handtools).

We set down rules that those with carry permits could bring their weapons and leave them in their cars. Anyone wsa allowed to carry pepper spray or similar stuff into the offices/shop. About 4PM we locked the place down and anyone going outside had to have someone else with them.

Anyone working on a weekend had to have another person with them.

As the owner and having a carry permit, I had a weapon I could get to in the shop. I worked alone on weekends, with the weapon on me.

I think it should be a non-issue, but some lawyer will make it one, and legislation should address the contingent liability that may be dreamed up by an enterprising lawyer with time on his hands.

3/18/2009 10:09 AM  
Blogger PirateFriedman said...

"current law that allows employers to ban workers from bringing handguns onto their property"

Well I think the pro-freedom approach is to allow employers to set their own policy.

But of course, state employees should always be allowed to bring a gun onto the property

3/18/2009 8:27 PM  

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