CCW at NRA Annual Meeting

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Such a rush to judgement. There is another possibility, which is since the issue is somewhat undefined, the NRA chooses not to endorse an interpretation that may open it up to liability and criticism.
 
The issue isn't really undefined. NRA should have looked into that if they cared. Houston is one of the very few cities holding out against SB501 and they are not even doing that consistently. The signs are gone, but they leave wording buried in documents contrary to that.

Dallas, Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Austin, they have all removed 30.06 signs from buildings impacted by SB501, including convention centers.
I personally took on the city of Ft Worth Attorney about this at the Ft Worth Will Rogers center, which is city owned. I went there and saw the 30.06 signs, went to the city offices and met with the city attorney. The signs were gone the next day. It isn't a hard fight, someone just has to say SOMETHING.
The law is clearly on our side on this one.

Houston is begging to be the test case, and NRA chose them to host the annual meeting? Sounds like a don't care attitude to me.

Texas State Rifle Association is active fighting these issues, where NRA is ignoring them.

I'm not attacking NRA for no reason. I am a life-member, but this is an important issue to Texas residents, and I am quite unhappy that an organization I send money to is ignoring it.
 
Clarification of previous statement:

Houston is not challenging the validity of SB501, they are simply challenging a portion in that they believe when they rent out a city owned building, the person leasing it may post the 30.06 signs.

So, they put in the rental agreement that anyone renting the facility must agree to post signs prohibiting concealed carry.

NRA agreed to the terms and conditions of that rental agreement, so it will be NRAs responsibility to post the 30.06 signs according to the rental agreement they have signed for the convention center.

So, by choosing Houston the NRA has chosen to prohibit concealed carry themselves.
 
Thanks so much for the info, folks. I got the same email response from NRA as was posted below. I replied that I understand TX law does not allow Houston to post the center. Please keep chasing this for us. The NRA is really gonna get a big black eye over this, and deservedly so.
 
Duckslayer,

The NRA doesn't give a ****. Their Member's Communication rep, Shawn at extension 3724, says they really don't care what Texas law says, they abrogated our rights when they, the NRA, signed the contract. How about giving him a call. Once he figures out you aren't going to listen to the nonsense, he tell you you have to write the Executive Director as he won't take you phone call.
 
I'm registered to attend one of the seminars and received this email today:

"For those of you that have inquired about concealed carry at the Convention Center in Houston:
The convention center prohibits concealed carry. HOWEVER NRA has negotiated through our attorneys a provision for concealed carry in our contract. Therefore, you may carry concealed in the convention center if you are in accordance with Texas state law. Please note: the firearm MUST be completely concealed at ALL times! Our security staff is working to cover the signs that prohibit firearms in the convention center, so hopefully there will be no confusion on site."

Am told that if anyone has questions, one may call NRA Membership for more information at 1-800-672-3888.

Texas, here we come.
 
Well I called the ILA

and the women said no they say you can't carry there & I asked who is they? The women who couldn't articulate a response that I could understand did the typical thing- passed the buck & transferred me to the legal staff who took my name and number with a promise to try and find out....
CT
 
Just got a call back

from legal at NRA HQ. They said the restriction would be waived and carry was ok. They said it is private property and that the owner could restrict but they agreed not to. I thought Houston owned the center?????
CT
 
I'm really glad to hear the NRA is not restricting CCW. They would have lost a lot of support if they had done so and it had gotten out to the membership!
 
rom legal at NRA HQ. They said the restriction would be waived and carry was ok. They said it is private property and that the owner could restrict but they agreed not to. I thought Houston owned the center?????
CT
Click to expand...

It is owned by the city.


The new facility, which is owned and operated by the City of Houston, was completed “on time and under budget†with a price tag of $104.9 million. Construction required 30 months with more than 1,200 workers on site.
Click to expand...

From http://www.houstonconventionctr.com/about/about.htm

NRA Legal needs to do more research if they think City of Houston is doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. :cuss:
 
Houston owns it, but TX state law says Houston can't prohibit CCW, but apparently renters (NRA) can. My take is that if it's posted, it's because NRA wanted it posted, and that NRA has no further purpose if we can't even have the Second Amendment in our own meetings. Kinda like not being allowed to bring your Bible to church.
 
Assuming CT is right....

Here we have a classic example.
Of what? you ask.
Of operational level lawyers working out a contract that is best for them. One that limits liability and causes no friction... legally speaking. No accidental shootings; no lawsuits; none of that messy gun stuff (these are lawyers remember).

However, once the guys in charge start hearing the b*tching and moaning from the rank and file they call the lawyers and ask "what in h*ll were you thinking!?".

This happens over and over again in corporations, in government both regional and national and in all manner of businesses from sea to shining sea.

Well done guys. Keep up the good work.

On the other hand you should be pleased that the NRA is being responsive to its membership and cut it that amount of slack.

G
 
I attended a gun show about a month ago at the convention center and the legal 30.06 signs were posted at the entrance. There were no metal detectors and the only question asked is if you had any live ammo whether or not you had a gun to sale or trade I thought the live ammo question was rather silly because as soon as you got in you could buy all the ammo you wanted and walk around with it all day. The convention center prohibits concealed carry with live ammo, the gun show exception is designed to allow people to carry an unloaded gun to sale or trade. The only true concealed carry exception is for LEO. They should change the language in there gun policy because it does make it sound like true concealed carry is allowed by citizens at gunshows.
 
Posted for Denny Church

He's unable to post to the news group for the time being. After my post here and then checking the posts on The High Road, he called the NRA and this is his recap:

I called the number posted at The High Road, and spoke with Bob who passed
me onto a young woman, and I have forgotten her name, with NRA/ILA regarding
the E-mail that GoldenSaber received.

I thanked her for getting this out, but have a problem with the word
NEGOTIATE, as I think the NRA had nothing to negotiate. Texas Law,
specifically SB501, which the TSRA/NRA/and the membership helped pass in the
2003 legislative session, prohibits the exact kind of crap the City of
Houston is trying to pull at the convention center. I told her that a
number of members had been complaining about the NRA Convention and no
concealed carry at the convention, and, I had called on March 18th to
express my displeasure with the NRA regarding this- quite forcefully.
Further, I told her I had intended to carry, even though I was told
emphatically the last time I called that I could not and that I must leave
it in my car. I again told her that I had intended to carry, just like
Jerry Patterson, and many others.

The young woman wanted to know if I was upset with the word negotiate and I
again said I was, and she asked me that if the NRA lawyers had negotiated
the carrying the concealed at the convention, what was the problem, as that
is negotiation. I had to explain again that the NRA had NOTHING to and had
done NOTHING for us as there is NOTHING to NEGOTIATE as Texas state law
prohibited the exact practice that the city of Houston was pulling- just
like the alert from last week concerning the city of Hampton, Virginia which
the VCDL and the NRA was fighting- the Dillon State issue and the city of
Hampton refusing to repeal it ordinances about carry at Bay Days.

This stopped in her tracks and she wanted to know what I wanted and I told
her that the NRA should have said: "Thanks to our great membership, which
pointed out the NRA/ILA was wrong, we have told the city of Houston that it
cannot prohibit us from allowing concealed carry." Further, I told her that
saving face was one thing, but admitting when you are wrong got you a lot
further in my book than just saving face. She said that there was nothing
she could do for me, and I told her that she could pass my complaint along,
and she said she would and I told her to have a nice day.

Denny Church

"No, my friend, the way to have good and safe government, is not to trust it
all to one, but to divide it among the many, distributing to every one
exactly the functions he is competent to. Let the national government be
entrusted with the defence of the nation, and its foreign and federal
relations; the State governments with the civil rights, laws, police, and
administration of what concerns the State generally; the counties with the
local concerns of the counties, and each ward direct the interests within
itself. It is by dividing and subdividing these republics from the great
national one down through all its subordinations, until it ends in the
administration of every man's farm by himself; by placing under every one
what his own eye may superintend, that all will be done for the best. What
has destroyed liberty and the rights of man in every government which has
ever existed under the sun?"

-- Thomas Jefferson, to Joseph Cabell, 1816

http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch4s34.html
Click to expand...
 
And Another Friend Found This:

After contacting the Convention Center by e-mail, another friend learned that the NRA is taking credit for something they didn't do. The Convention Center is merely complying with Texas law. Here's the e-mail he received.

Mr. ******l,

Thank you for spotting the error on our web site regarding handguns. We
modified our rules regarding handguns when the law you cite became
effective. Unfortunately, those that maintain our web site inserted the old
version of our rules and regulations. The provision which we include in our
standard rules and regulations for those using the convention center is as
follows:

18. CONCEALED HANDGUNS.
Possession of firearms is forbidden in the Facility with the exception of
the following: (i) licensed peace officers and licensed honorably retired
peace officers and (ii) exhibitors and patrons during duly licensed gun
shows and (iii) individuals licensed by the State of Texas to carry
concealed handguns.

We will undertake to correct our web information ASAP. Please feel free to
contact me if you have questions.

Stephen W. Lewis, Deputy Director
Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department
1001 Avenida de las Americas
Houston, Texas 77010
Phone: 713-853-8888
Fax: 713-853-8091
Cell: 713-516-2581
Take a virtual tour of the George R. Brown - Click the link below!
http://www.emarketing360.com/CC/TX/Houston/GRB/index.html
Click to expand...

If you wish, give Mr. Lewis a call and thank him for the clarification.
 
TexasSIGman

I personally took on the city of Ft Worth Attorney about this at the Ft Worth Will Rogers center, which is city owned. I went there and saw the 30.06 signs, went to the city offices and met with the city attorney. The signs were gone the next day.
Click to expand...

Was this at one of the gun shows at Will Rogers? I know they prohibited CCW
at the gun shows for years, but I haven't been over there in a long time.
Are the 30.06 signs gone at the gun shows?

Walter
 
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