Latest news with #SenateBill1065
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas bill would prevent State Fair of Texas from prohibiting firearms
The Brief Texas Senate bill 1065 aims to keep the State Fair of Texas from imposing a firearms ban. If passed, the bill would allow license-to-carry holders to bring firearms to the Fair and other places where a contractor leases government property. Last year, in response to the 2023 shooting, the Fair said nobody could bring a firearm, unless they were current or retired law enforcement members. DALLAS - State senators heard testimony on a bill that could ban events like the State Fair of Texas from prohibiting firearms. Texas Senate Bill 1065 aims to keep the State Fair of Texas from imposing a firearms ban. The bill went before the Senate Committee on State Affairs on Thursday morning. If passed, the bill would allow license-to-carry holders to bring firearms to the Fair and other places where a contractor leases government property. The State Fair leases Fair Park from the city of Dallas. The bill is in its early stages, but the debate has been ongoing. It was introduced by Republican Senator Bob Hall, who represents parts of North Texas outside of Dallas. What they're saying License to Carry instructor, Gary Zimmerman, believes the problem isn't just the right to carry at the State Fair, but rather the protection needed to get there. "The Texas State Fair is in a high crime rate area of Dallas and the problem isn't the State Fair, because there's 500-plus police officers there, it's getting to and from there," said Zimmerman. "Where are you going to put your gun? In the car. Where's the number one place where criminals obtain guns? It's from stealing them from cars, it's not from buying them, they steal them from cars." Executive Director of the Texas State Rifle Association, John Poole, did not approve of the State Fair changing its gun policy after a shooting in 2023. "The knee-jerk reaction by the State Fair was a policy change that not only banned all weapons, but it banned the very people that you want to carry a handgun," said Poole. The other side Opponents of the bill believe it would undermine the ability of the State Fair and other organizations leasing government property to keep events safe. Sarah West, a volunteer for Moms Demand Action, an organization fighting for more public safety measures that protect people from gun violence, said during Thursday's hearing that Senate Bill 1065 strips event organizers of the flexibility needed to make public events safe. "SB 1065 imposes a one-size-fits-all gun mandate on settings as varied as public streets, the Houston Zoo, and public universities. It strips event organizers of the flexibility they need to make site-specific safety decisions," said West. FOX 4 reached out to the State Fair of Texas for comment on SB 1065 and received the following reply: "Yes, the State Fair of Texas is aware of Senate Bill 1065. The State Fair takes no political position on gun rights issues and in fact, has long been, and continues to be, a strong supporter of the rights of responsible gun owning Texans. Our decision to change our policy regarding the admission of license-to-carry (LTC) holders with their handguns was in no way meant to be a political statement. It was merely an attempt to 1) make the Fair safer for everyone; 2) follow best practices of similar Texas events; and 3) eliminate confusion related to areas of the fairgrounds where firearms are prohibited by has been suggested that our new policy makes the State Fair a "gun free" zone and therefore less safe than before. We disagree with this suggestion. The State Fair has adopted a similar policy to that of most all similar events in Texas, such as athletic competitions, concerts, and other fairs and festivals throughout the state." Dig deeper In 2023, a shooting inside the food court on the fairgrounds injured three people. At the time, the Fair allowed attendees with valid handgun licenses to carry their weapon if it was concealed. The suspect did not have a gun license. Last year, in response to the 2023 shooting, the Fair said nobody could bring a firearm, unless they were current or retired law enforcement members. Last fall, the Texas Supreme Court denied Attorney General Ken Paxton's emergency filing which sought to overturn the State Fair's gun ban. What's next It's unclear if Senate Bill 1065 has the support needed to become law. The bill is left pending at this time, so no action has been taken. The Source Information in this article comes from a hearing of the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee, the State Fair of Texas and past FOX 4 coverage.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lawmakers take another crack at tort reform after Oklahoma Supreme Court rebuke
Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus, listens to a question during the Oklahoma Senate session on Monda. (Photo by Janelle Stecklein/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma senators on Monday pressed forward with another attempt to cap how much plaintiffs can claim for pain and suffering despite concerns that the state's high court has already found a similar effort unconstitutional. Senate Bill 1065 seeks to limit the noneconomic damages that a plaintiff can be awarded at $500,000. Noneconomic damages are those that are not easily quantifiable for injured Oklahomans, including pain and suffering, emotional distress and the costs associated with loss of life enjoyment. Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus, said his measure is part of a broader effort to look at tort reform statewide and give guidance to the courts so it can be 'applied more equally across the board.' The state does not currently have a cap for noneconomic damages. The Oklahoma Supreme Court in 2019 struck down a law that capped the amount awarded at $350,000. The court found that the 2011 law limiting noneconomic damages is unconstitutional because it treats those who are injured differently from those who die. Howard said he's optimistic that the Oklahoma Supreme Court will look more favorably on this latest effort in part because the makeup of the Court is different and three of the justices still serving found the 2011 law constitutional except for one provision. Eight states, including Colorado and California, have similar laws capping damages, and 26 have caps on medical malpractice claims, he said. Howard's bill includes exceptions for gross negligence, willful disregard for others and intentional malice. It also does not cap economic damages like quantifiable medical expenses, lost wages and property damage. He said capping the damages eliminates 'potential, unlimited (financial) exposure' for defendants who are sued. But Sen. Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City, who voted against the bill, said it raises questions about what a life is worth. 'We say that a life has no cost, no way that we can talk about what it's worth,' she said. 'But here we're talking about near death. We're talking about potentially permanent disability, and we're talking about potentially reckless business practices or reckless decisionmaking. This change would limit justice for Oklahoma families.' Sen. Carri Hicks, D-Oklahoma City, who also voted against the legislation, said one of her constituents, a 6-year-old girl, was mauled by a 100-pound Rottweiler. The girl survived, but nearly all of her damages fall into the noneconomic category because she will have major scarring across her face for the rest of her life, she said. 'If there was a cap on noneconomic damages like this one being pursued now, it would have been difficult for any attorney to accept her as a client or litigate a case on her behalf due to how the cap would have imposed a low limit on how much a jury can award, regardless of the violent attack she suffered and all of the permanent side effects it will have on her,' she said. Hicks said keeping such lawsuits from being filed is the true goal of such caps. 'Why would any legislators support a cap on valid and warranted damages for the benefit of such a landlord and an insurance company that never offered a fair amount to resolve the client's case?' she said. The bill passed 37-8, along party lines. It heads to the House for consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
