via Republican Party of Texas
Posted 9.16.2019 – by Morgan Lloyd
WHEREAS, an individual’s ability to keep and bear arms is fundamental to preserving and protecting our God-given rights and the sustainability of our free republic; and
WHEREAS, the Platform of the Republican Party of Texas affirms:
- The Right to Self-Defense: We affirm that lawful gun ownership and carry by the people protects us from those who wish to do harm and guards against tyranny by our own government. We call upon our elected officials to resist the narrative that the solution to every problem is less freedom and more regulation, and instead pursue policies that respect freedom while also increasing safety. (#69)
- Constitutional Carry: We support constitutional carry legislation through any legislative means so law-abiding citizens may carry any legally owned guns openly or concealed, while maintaining the option of a permit for reciprocity purposes only. (#70)
- Intrastate Protection Act: We support an Intrastate Protection Act to clarify that guns made and sold in Texas are not subject to the Interstate Commerce Clause of the US Constitution, and legislation denying state funding to any state or local agencies that enforce federal weapons laws not also affirmed by the laws of the State of Texas. (#71)
- Gun-Free Zones: We oppose governmental prohibitions on citizens who have a constitutional right to own and carry firearms and knives from doing so. We oppose state-mandated location restrictions, the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, and the National Firearms Act. (#72)
- Red Flag: We oppose monitoring programs, including the Red Flag (that would deprive someone of their right to keep and bear arms without being convicted of a crime or found mentally incompetent by a medical psychiatric professional) or iWatch proposals, and any program that causes gun owners to be investigated by law enforcement or appear before a judge when there is no reasonable cause of a crime committed. We oppose increased background checks, as they are highly prone to “false positives” and hinder law-abiding citizens’ ability to defend themselves, rather than reduce crime. (#73)
- Firearms Storage: We oppose mandates on personal firearms storage, maintaining that it is the responsibility of an individual to safely store his or her firearms and choose responsibly when and how to make them available to minors. (#74)
- Weapons Restrictions: We support all legislation and policies that reduce restrictions on legal gun owners to purchase, own, or carry any type of gun, ammunition, accessory, knife, or other weapons, and oppose all that hinder the same. (#75)
- Amend Texas Constitution: We call for the Texas Legislature to propose to the people of Texas a constitutional amendment to strike the following words from Article I Section 23 of the Texas Constitution: “but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime.” (#76)
- Responsible Gun Owners: We call upon gun owners of Texas to regulate themselves through exercising safe handling procedures, voluntarily receiving training and helping others to train others, and safely carrying firearms as a deterrent to crime. (#77)
- Gun Owner Age: We believe law-abiding citizens 18 years and older have the right to purchase, possess, and carry firearms, including hand guns. (#78)
- National Reciprocity: We support national reciprocity and call upon Congress to pass it (#79); now
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas calls upon our elected leaders to protect and defend the inalienable right of Texans to keep and bear arms for the defense of themselves and of the State by supporting policies consistent with the aforementioned planks of the 2018 Republican Party of Texas Platform; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Republican Party of Texas calls upon our elected officials to protect community safety without infringing upon the ability of law-abiding Texans to freely exercise their Constitutional rights and defend themselves, their families, or their property; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that this resolution be distributed to all Republican members of the Texas House of Representatives and Senate, the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, all Republican members representing the State of Texas in the United States House of Representatives and Senate.
