03/16/2021
The State Homeland Committee is discussing Texas House Bill 52 on March 18, 2021. It concerns Gun Shows and requires everyone who sells a gun there to submit and pay for a Federal Background Check. It will make it a crime to sell a gun or trade for a gun without a background check. You will also have to pay a fee (no amount yet specified) for this background check.
If you are against this, please go to https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c420 and follow the directions to voice your dis-approval. The following is what I put in as my response:
“As a fi****ms manufacturer and seller at gun shows, I am totally opposed to this bill. I agree that only true collectors and FFL Dealers should be vendors at the shows, this bill will not address any of the problems of not having back ground checks. There are hundreds if not thousands of Alcohol, To***co, and Fi****ms (ATF) laws already on the book for us to go by. Enforce them! Don't saddle us with new ones that only puts hardships on the promoters and legal dealers. This law especially as written, will only make criminals out of honest citizens. All two people have to do is make a deal, then meet somewhere other than the gun show premises and conduct the transaction. Lets address the real cause of this bill. It is a veiled attempt to shut down gun shows. And that will cost the State LOTS of money.
Each gun show, I collect and send to the State of Texas hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars in sales tax. We stay in hotels and pay sales tax. We eat out, and pay sales tax. This is for several thousands of dealers through out the State. Cut out these shows, and my sales income is drastically cut. Due to the pandemic we had no gun shows for over six months. My sales income was cut by over 70% and that meant fewer taxes to the State of Texas.
I am a retired Police Officer with 32 years of service. If this bill would do anything to cut crime, I would be in favor of it. IT DOES NOT! It only puts an undue burden on law-abiding citizens. Criminals will go steal a weapon or buy it off the street. After all, that’s why they don't go to gun shows.”
The purpose of this form is to aid Texas residents in electronically submitting public comments to House committees on measures or matters included on public hearing notices.