AKTI’s bills TX S 2411 and TX H 4456 were both filed on March 13, 2009.
The House bill has been assigned to the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee where it is expected to get an initial review in about two weeks. The Senate bill was assigned today to the Criminal Justice Committee.
AKTI lobbyist Mark Seale has already received promises of support from the Department of Public Safety. He expects we will get support from the game wardens, the state firefighters, state troopers, the NRA and the Coastal Coordination Council.
The Texas Coastal Coordination Council is part of the Railroad Commission of Texas. According to its website, it “coordinates state, local and federal initiatives of the Texas Coastal Management Program and … works to manage natural resources along the coast, helps to identify issues affecting the region and coordinates the State’s response to the coastal communities.”
AKTI’s bills clearly are designed to protect millions of fishers, hunters, campers, hikers, bikers and millions of other recreational users of knives. We expect to pursue support from the Texas Department of Parks & Wildlife. Texas received a projected $6.228 Billion in 2006 from the economic impact of hunting and fishing.
Gardeners and landscapers are regular knife users. The construction industries rely on millions of workers who carry and use knives on a daily basis. AKTI expects support from several construction- related organizations.
We will also work to gather support from EMTs and other emergency responders, all of whom depend on knives, typically one-hand openers, to rescue people in life-and-death situations.
AKTI estimates that total sporting knife sales in Texas are in excess of $77 Million annually. Folding knives, assisted-openers and one-hand openers account for an estimated $61 Million of that total. The total number of Texas knife users and annual visitors is estimated to be in excess of 11 million.
More about Texas effort
- March 13, 2009: AKTI Files TX S 2411 and TX H 4456
- November 1, 2008: Read more on how this effort was started
- Read the “AKTI Introduced Bills.