A Climber of Trees (Private)

Thus far, at least four bills have been authored relating to carrying concealed handguns on college campuses. The language eventually says something like this: An institution of higher education or private or independent institution of higher education in this state may not adopt any rule, regulation, or other provision prohibiting a license holder who is a faculty member, staff member, or employee of the institution from carrying a handgun on the campus of the institution. (HB 1356). When I addressed this issue with my state senator Dan Patrick two years ago, his only response was that we have the right, according the the Second Amendment, to carry firearms. Evidently, the only consideration, then, is an amendment, and no other considerations should be discussed. Then, of course, when faced with mind-blowing events such as an attempted assassination of a congresswoman and the murder of her friends and colleagues, we immediately retreat into a flight or fight response, and legislato...

Dear Ms. Riddle, Recently New York’s top court officials decided to bar the state’s hundreds of elected judges from hearing cases involving lawyers and others who make significant contributions to their campaigns, a move that will change the political culture of courts and transform judicial elections by removing an important incentive lawyers have for contributing. This move bluntly tackles an important issue in our state — money in judicial politics — that deserves more legislative attention. Similar measures have been adopted recently in Washington, Oklahoma, Michigan and other states, and would take the question of disqualification entirely out of judges’ hands. Texas, too, should flatly state that “no case shall be assigned” by court administrators to a judge when the lawyers or any of the participants involved donated money in the preceding two years. The reasons should be obvious. Daniel Schuman has written about the growing problem of money in judicial elections across...