State Republicans continue to feast on red meat this legislative session. Earlier today state Rep. Jeff Leach, a Republican from District 67 (which covers parts of Dallas and Plano), filed HB 1533, the Texas Gun Ownership Reinforcement Act. The bill would establish Texas Independence Day (March 2) as a tax-free holiday for anyone purchasing firearms and hunting gear.
“It is time for Texas to take the lead in the fight against Washington’s attempts to infringe on our 2nd Amendment freedoms – and this unique legislation does just that,” Leach said in a statement, reacting to President Barack Obama’s proposal to mandate background checks on all gun sales and bans on military style assault weapons and high-capacity magazines as part of a package of steps to reduce gun violence.
Among the items that would be tax-exempt include: shotguns, rifles, revolvers, handguns, gun cleaning supplies, gun cases, ammunition, archery equipment, hunting stands, decoys, and more.
In a move about as surprising as finding out your hairdresser is gay, the National Rifle Association came out in support of the bill.
Tara Mica, a spokesperson for the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, called the proposed bill “common-sense legislation.”
“Representative Leach’s House Bill 1533 supports lawful gun ownership and encourages Texas sportsmen to spend their money here at home,” she said. “While bolstering our Texas economy, this common-sense legislation goes a long way toward promoting our Second Amendment freedoms.”
Many other Republican legislatures have been gushing about the bill as well.
In an economic recession such as we are presently in, where both business and family are cautious about any but paycheck to paycheck expense, recreation, home defense, and 2nd Amendment rights are all met in the popular and historic handgun. And it’s not just the handgun….it’s rifles and bows too. It’s also a political answer to an unpopular movement in Washington to reduce and inhibit the common citizen to purchase whatever they desire for any of the above uses.
America purchases on desire, not need, even in the case of a home. You could accomplish shelter with a tent, but no one does! You could use a wood fire to heat your tent, but no one does!
Fact is, we as Americans seldom buy on need, including home defense, or we’d still be using musketload rifles. What do we want? We want AR15’s. We want semiauto shotguns, we want that sleek looking “assault” rifle.
The perspective, rightly so, of the gun owner, is that no one has any business telling me what to buy….heck, you could insert any noun in there…car owner, camera owner, eyeglass. Ok you get the point. Piers Morgan, shut up and sit down! LOL
American life, dreams and the pursuit of happiness have seldom been about meeting need, but surrounding ourselves with what makes us as fiercely independent individuals, happy.