Date: 2011-11-16
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank you for your courtesies. and I am delighted to have seen my good friend engage in a dialogue and a colloquy with my friend from Tennessee. Maybe I might even get the same courtesies because this is a very important issue that also deals with constitutional questions. I am back with my young man who is getting his immunization shot. with a nurse looking over him. because I want people to know that this is about family. that its about the fact as to whether or not we make a statement on behalf of protecting law enforcement. of protecting our families. and not fall upon the spear of the Second Amendment and the National Rifle Association. To my ranking member and dear friend. even the supercommittee is not without ghosts riding through. I understand they had a deal. and then Mr. Norquist comes riding through. Whenever we want to talk about getting together on guns and the Second Amendment. the NRA comes riding through. So weve got the NRA. and weve got Mr. Norquist. and we cant ever get any bipartisanship because the ghosts keep riding through. My amendment is a very simple one. and it speaks. again. to protecting the lives of our officers. and what it says is having the State have a designated entity. a designated agency. that requires an individual coming into another State with a concealedcarry permit to provide at least 24 hours advance notice to law enforcement agencies of their intention to carry or possess a concealed handgun in another State. States must retain their ability to know which individuals are allowed under this newly proposed bill to possess and carry a concealed weapon. Now. my friend did not engage with me in a dialogue. the gentleman. I believe. from South Carolina. But just imagine a trooper with a traffic stop on. say. for example. 145 in the State of Texasit could be 195 in Marylandat 3 a.m. The car has a Colorado license plate. and the driver supplies a Colorado drivers license. The State trooper goes back to his car. and he can instantly validate this person is from Colorado with respect to the license plate and the license. Upon returning to the car. the trooper notices that the driver has a concealed weapon on his hip. The driver hands over his Colorado concealedcarry permit. The trooper has no ability to determine the validity of that permit. Therefore. if that person had been required to notify a State agency in Texas or in Maryland. that information might be readily accessible. I heard a comment about the NLET process. You can go to the NLET. Only 12 States have allowed electronic access to their concealedcarry databases known as NLET. It does not respond. in essence. to the other 38 States. My friends. we are recklessly passing a bill that we think is sorely needed. It does not in any way have anything to do with jobs. It doesnt have anything to do with protecting innocent children. It has nothing to do with making sure our law enforcement is safe. I am simply adding an amendment that would make it better. When youre coming into our State. lets let our law enforcement know. and lets provide safety to the American people. I reserve the balance of my time.