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1993-03-05
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WACO - WHAT THE LEGISLATORS THINK
AUSTIN, Texas (UPI) -- The bloody gunfights at a religious
cult compound near Waco triggered reactions Monday among Texas
legislators considering concealed-handguns measures in the House.
State Rep. Bill Carter, R-Fort Worth, said, "I don't think
what happened in Waco has anything to do with 'right to carry'
legislation."
Carter, who is sponsoring a concealed handgun bill, maintained
that the bloody gunfight pitting Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
agents against members of group called the Branch Davidians, will
"only polarize more people in having a fear of their own personal
safety."
State Rep. Dianne White Delisi, R-Temple, agreed, saying "I
believe people want to be able to protect themselves."
However, state Rep. Glen Maxey, D-Austin, said that his office
has been "paralyzed" by gun lobby attempts to kill legislation he
recently filed that would prohibit the manufacture, possession or
sale of military-style assault weapons in Texas.
Maxey contended, "Clearly, what we've seen in Waco points out
that there is no useful reason for people...to own these kinds of
weapons, unless you're going to murder other human beings."
The Austin Democrat said that "right to carry" measures
signify that there is "no rationality left" in society.
House Speaker Pete Laney, D-Hale Center, a proponent of
allowing citizens the right to carry weapons, said, "I've always
supported that concept, but that's a personal point of view."
Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, a gun collector, said he believed the
time has come to consider legislation against fully automatic,
military-style weapons.
Bullock said, "I've been leaning that way more and more every
year on it," but he stressed that there is difference between
semi-automatic and fully automatic weapons.
He said, "Many shotguns today are semi-automatic weapons...I
don't favor (control) for shotguns that are normally used for
bird hunting and things of that nature."