Archive for February 27th, 2013

Time to pick up the phone, folks.

Wednesday, February 27th, 2013

A friend of mine tipped me off to item #35 on the Austin City Council’s agenda for tomorrow night’s meeting:

Approve a resolution signifying the City Council’s intent to endorse efforts to develop a comprehensive approach to reducing gun crime.

You can find the agenda and supporting materials here. “Supporting materials” includes a draft resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN
That the City Council strongly supports Mayor Lee Leffingwell’s membership in Mayors Against Illegal Guns, endorses the statement and efforts of the organization, and supports President Obama’s effort to develop a comprehensive approach to reducing gun crime.
The Council urges leaders at the state and federal level to enact legislation that requires background checks for all gun sales, provides for prosecution of straw purchasers and gun traffickers, limits the size of ammunition magazines, puts reasonable restrictions on public ownership of military-style guns, and
improves the accuracy and completeness of background check databases to ensure the safety of our citizens.

The only thing on that list that would “ensure the safety of our citizens” is “prosecution of straw purchasers and gun traffickers”. The rest of the council’s proposals are the usual “what you do instead of doing something noise”, and none of those proposals will make the public any safer.

Fortunately, this is just a resolution:

WHEREAS, due to prohibitions in the Texas Local Government Code Austin, unlike cities in other states, must rely on legislative action at the state or federal level to effect changes related to firearm and ammunition sales…

In other words, the city council can’t do anything except pass resolutions. Think they’d like some cheese with that whine?

The listed sponsor is Kathie Tovo, with Laura Morrison and William Spelman listed as co-sponsors. You can find contact information for the council here. My suggestion is: be polite, be professional, and make it clear you have a plan to vote out every single one of the SOBs.

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