Texas GOP Vote

On the last day of the 2013 NRA Annual Meeting, I had the opportunity to sit down with board member Grover Norquist to discuss the NRA Board and the politics related to the 2nd Amendment. Norquist explained the makeup of the NRA Board and the roles the various people in the board play. We then went on to talk about the current political climate related to guns and the real issues related to gun violence. It's not the hardware, it is the behavior of people we should be trying to control.   Read more »

Following are my photographs from Day 1 of the 142nd Annual Meeting of the National Rifle Association.  This set captures some of the great speakers in addition to the thousands of members on the convention floor.

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Much has been said about the shortage of ammunition. Rumors (and some verified facts) have been abundant about DHS and other federal agencies stockpiling ammo. During the NRA Annual Meeting held in Houston earlier this month, I talked to several industry insiders to try to information about what is happening to our ammo. One such insider is Roy Huntington, publisher of the Firearms Marketing Group's (FMG) gun magazines like American Handgunner.

Roy told me, and I confirmed this with several ammo manufacturers, that the reason there is a shortfall of ammunition is because of one thing - consumer binge purchasing. Yes, it seems we are hoarding ammunition and buying it faster than companies can make it.

The following is a press release from the NRA Institute for Legislative Action:

Things haven't been very good for President Obama lately. Last week, Congress heard from witnesses concerning his administration's fatal failures related to the September 11, 2012, attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Not buying into the make-believe nonsense that Obama has improved America's standing among terrorists devoted to our destruction, jihadists recently attacked the Boston Marathon. The unemployment rate has decreased by only 0.4 percentage point since January.   Read more »

The following is a press release from the NRA Institute for Legislative Action:

Gun owners’ patience and persistence was rewarded on Saturday and yesterday, as the Texas House of Representatives led by Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) gave approval to a wide range of pro-gun legislation while the NRA Annual Meeting was underway in Houston. Most of these bills passed overwhelmingly,

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says that lawmakers who are “going with the NRA” are “going against the lives of our children.” “And we have an obligation to tell each other and to try to convince people that if they’re going with the NRA they’re going against the lives of our children and of you and me,” Bloomberg said during a press conference last week to announce a city-wide recycling program. Bloomberg was asked about whether his group Mayors Against Illegal Guns will target Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor, a Democrat, who opposed gun control legislation in the Senate.   Read more »

The following is a press release from the NRA Institute for Legislative Action:

As NRA members begin to gather in Houston for the 2013 Annual Meeting, action is heating up in Austin on Second Amendment-related measures. Yesterday, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 1907, sponsored by state Senator Glenn Hegar (R-Katy), a measure that prohibits public and private colleges and universities from adopting or enforcing policies banning students who are Concealed Handgun Licensees (CHLs) from transporting and storing handguns and ammunition in their privately-owned motor vehicles while driving through or parking on campus. SB 1907 now goes to the Texas House for consideration.

Additionally, the state House is scheduled to consider a full calendar of firearm-related bills this Saturday, May 4, including

Today is the National Day of Prayer and tomorrow is the opening day of the NRA Convention in Houston. Let me try to connect God and guns via Alexis de Tocqueville. Tocqueville wrote, “Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.” This observation exposes the connection between a nation’s character and its ability to enjoy liberty. It also establishes the point that laws cannot establish the right character for enjoying liberty.   Read more »

The United Nations passed an arms control treaty that could, if signed by the President and ratified by the Senate, radically alter Americans' Second Amendment rights. In response to this treaty, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott declared a "Red Flag Alert" to a group of bloggers and other media in a conference call held this afternoon. General Abbott said this treaty not only represents a threat to Second Amendment Rights but is also a threat to all American liberties protected by the U.S. Constitution.   Read more »

The following notice was sent out by the NRA's Institute for Legislative Affairs about Gun Rights issues before this session of the Texas Legislature. For those who support the Second Amendment, this is an important day to be in Austin and stand tall for your rights!

Texas House Committee to Hold Public Hearings on NRA-Backed Campus Carry and Open Carry Bills this Week in Austin  

The Texas House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety will hold public hearings on the NRA-supported measures