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Open Carry And Local Control Bills Derailed By Computer Glitch

Ryan E. Poppe

A San Antonio lawmaker identifies a computer glitch that kills a vote on an open carry gun bill and a bill that limits what ordinances cities can pass. Democratic Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer submitted a challenge to Sherman Republican Rep. Larry Phillip’s bill shortly after the House convened Tuesday.

Martinez Fischer says his challenge has to do with the Capitol’s new witness registration system and how the computer changed whether a person testifying was either for or against a bill.

Credit Ryan E. Poppe
San Antonio Democratic Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer after delaying a vote on HB 910, with a point-of-order.

“It turns out that the effect of that defect affects other bills, I don’t exactly know how many,” Martinez Fischer explained.

The glitch actually affects a total of 21 bills where a person’s position was changed without their consent.

Credit Ryan E. Poppe
Sherman Republican Rep. Larry Phillips and the point-of-order that delayed a vote on his Open Carry bill for 72-hours.

  “The point-of-order delayed a day’s worth of work for a lot of bills and we’re only here for 140 days,” said Phillips.

Phillips will have a chance to re-submit his bill after a 3-day waiting period.

Ryan started his radio career in 2002 working for Austin’s News Radio KLBJ-AM as a show producer for the station's organic gardening shows. This slowly evolved into a role as the morning show producer and later as the group’s executive producer.