An attempt to exempt elected officials servants. Here’s what Rep. Tim Kleinschmidt, R-Lexington, author of the bill said:
“This is not intended to be any type of elitist bill,” Rep. Tim Kleinschmidt, R-Lexington, said Monday.
“We spend a disproportionate amount of our time with the public in these particular locations. And therefore it’s a safety factor,” said Kleinschmidt, the measure’s sponsor.
[…]
Under the state concealed-weapons law, citizens who take a course and pass a background check may carry concealed handguns in public but not in bars, schools, sporting events, hospitals, amusement parks and churches.
Kleinschmidt said those restrictions make it dangerous for politicians. He cited the shooting three months ago in Arizona in which a federal judge was killed and Giffords was severely wounded.
“There are so many places I’m scheduled to go where we don’t know the circumstances, but you’ve got to be there,” he said. “In some instances, you really don’t know what type of neighborhood, what type of risks you may be exposed to.”
We mere plebeians spend a lot of time with the public in these particular locations.
Those same restrictions make it dangerous for us lesser people too.
There are so many places that I have to go where I don’t know the circumstances, but I’ve got to be there. And in some of those instances, I don’t really know what type of neighborhood, what types of risks I may be exposed to.
So what makes you more important than me, Rep. Kleinschmidt? other than your perception of yourself and your importance, of course.
Stuff From Hsoi 
HSOI:
Apparently this public servant has not read the constraints of the Penal Code relating to this legislation in years past very well. We can indeed carry in churches as well, and many of our fellow CHL holders do not even remember this change taking effect.
However, the point that he needs to understand, and hopefully his constituency will pour in the email and calls to him and others, is that WE the people already have this ability to carry anywhere… however, THEY have restricted us thus far to certain areas, and particulars. It’s time for a change from that. We are just as important as individuals under the Preamble of our Constitution as well as our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain that made us members of this great United States of America. The important thing is he [Rep. Kleinschmidt] volunteered to be elected in his area, and the people of his area thought he was more than capable to do his job in Austin and in the various areas his job requires him to be in under the current state laws that he had entered into his current position. That being said, he was not given the authority to enter that job through the electorate to change the laws to favor him or his fellow legislators.
On the first part, I think that is the fault of the article writer… which is understandable due to the way the law actually reads on the books (it is strange and you have to keep reading). I did notice this but didn’t want to comment on it in my post so as to not be distracted from the main point I wanted to stress.
On the second part, you voice your point well. We need to remind the good Representative of his place. I think WE can help that by not referring to them as our “leaders” because they are not: they are our servants and need to be reminded of that from time to time.
Just like you and me, only better. As the saying goes.
Like I said earlier… we need to remind them they are our servants and are to do our bidding.
My take on this?
You’re an ELECTED official. You had no background check or psych eval to qualify you for that position. It’s very stressful work. You could snap at any time. So NO, BAD politician!
Oh, and you AREN’T special dude. Get the hell over yourself. You want to carry in legally in those “special” places? Let us all do it and I’ll support you 100% Otherwise, go %$# yourself.
Oh, and Hsoi, you keep beating me to the punch on these subjects!
You know that’s a good point.
A while ago I wrote this:
https://blog.hsoi.com/2009/04/28/what-does-it-say-about-a-person/
That by the mere fact someone has a CHL, you can tell all sorts of things about a person. When someone is an elected public servant, what can you tell about them? Certainly not as much… no background check there!
As for beating you to the punch, nothing says mine has to be the only punch. 🙂
Dear Rep. Kleinschmidt,
May I respectfully submit that you are an elitist jerk and a complete jackwagon?
My daughter goes to college 3 times a week, works in a restaurant, has worked as a bartender, picks up a child from school/day care every weekday.
In short, she is out in public much more then you, you self centered piece of ego-self inflated snot nosed punk. Stop blowing smoke up your own lower body orifice about how much more dangerous it is for you than a very beautiful 25 year old woman!!!
Maybe you should look at just removing restrictions on where people can carry firearms, eh Sparky?
Maybe you should look at just removing the prohibitions against Open Carry, Campus Carry, Carrying at governmental meetings you pompous jerk.
Go on Bob. Tell us how you really feel. 🙂
“We spend a disproportionate amount of our time with the public in these particular locations. And therefore it’s a safety factor,” said Kleinschmidt, the measure’s sponsor.
Disproportionate to what? I don’t think that word means what you think it means. For that matter, I don’t think “elitist bill”, “intended” or “safety factor” mean what you think they mean, either, Mr. Kleinschmidt.
Also, if you don’t like the risks that come with being a representative, you don’t have to stand for re-election. Just sayin’.
When you put it that way, it makes you wonder what he thinks of himself and his importance in the world, isn’t it?