At the State Republican Executive Committee held in Austin this past weekend, the governing body of the Republican Party of Texas unanimously passed a resolution affirming the party’s support for the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
The resolution notably reaffirms the party’s support for the passage of “constitutional carry legislation that removes restrictions on the freedom of law-abiding citizens who possess firearms to carry those firearms.” Despite being a legislative priority in the RPT platform, constitutional carry bills have been repeatedly killed in the legislature in favor of more tepid “pro-gun” bills, such as the reduction of the handgun license fees during the previous session.
James Dickey, Chairman of the RPT, commented on the passage of the resolution:
Texans have long fought for the right to keep and bear arms. During the Battle of Gonzales, a self-organized group of patriots refused to give up their cannon in the fight for freedom and told their enemies to ‘Come and take it!’ Now is not the time for us to cede the ground our forefathers fought for, defended, and won. The Republican Party of Texas stands with law-abiding citizens who wish to exercise their God-given rights without government intrusion.
The resolution comes at a time where some Republicans in Washington D.C. have flirted with renewed calls by liberal Democrats for gun control. Jeremy Blosser, an SREC member for Senate District 10 and author of the resolution, noted the resolution was equally focused at state and federal officeholders:
With the national conversation causing even some Republicans to waver in their support for firearms freedom, we wanted to be sure to send a strong message that the Republican Party of Texas is as resolute as ever in our understanding that the individual right to keep and bear arms, unencumbered by governmental regulation, is the only way to curb violent attacks. This resolution reminds our state and federal office holders that we are tired of seeing the failed results of experimentation. Removing restrictions from lawful gun owners’ ability to bear arms in defense of themselves and others is proven to work. In fact, it is the only thing that does, and we invite them to join us in working to ensure true firearms freedom.
While the resolution is non-binding, it is yet another indication of the grassroots’ strong support for constitutional carry legislation and gun rights in Texas. The full text of the resolution can be read here.
