| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
Relating to the use of certain weapons in or on the beds or banks of certain rivers and streams in particular counties.
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
HB 489 would make it illegal to discharge a firearm or shoot an arrow from a bow while located on the bank or bed of a navigable river or stream in Hall County. This would add Hall County to a short list of counties with the same prohibition. The bill does provide exceptions for fishing with a bow and for discharging a shotgun (presumably in the course of bird hunting) and stipulates that the bill does not prohibit lawful carry of a handgun on a river bank or bed.
Texas Action remains neutral on HB 489. This is a local bill addressed only to the author's district. According to the author's statement of intent this is to address problems caused by people target shooting while using pillars of a bridge as a backstop and causing structural damage to the bridge.