Added: Your Home IS Your Castle Now In Texas!

Way to go to the 2007 80th Texas Legislature and Governor Perry for passing and signing the "Castle Doctrine" aka deadly force bill today! The bill, SB 378, gives law abiding residents of Texas the right to use deadly force in their homes, cars and workplaces. The new law will take effect Sept 1, 2007. Until then and previously we were expected to retreat. The best part is the bill provides civil immunity so long as the outlines of the bill are followed exactly. One can't be the aggressor either by taunting or actions, but it's about time a woman's house IS her castle and she doesn't have to flee for her own safety.

Now realistically I still think it's a good idea to avoid the situation if at all possible, get yourself to a place of safety and call the real deal to handle the problem, but once you've done all the above, be prepared to DIY if reasonably necessary. Shoot first and fall apart afterwards! And less any of the anti-gun crowd get their panties in a bunch, I'll happily point out that police and prosecutors can still press charges if they feel deadly force was used illegally. That means you, drug dealers! You'll be immune from civil lawsuits not criminal ones!

The 2nd best part of all this is that an overwhelming majority of the legislature was in favor of this bill and its passage! That's great! This is a great state! Eat your heart out California!

This is from the NRA-ILA and it's important to mention Attorney General Greg Abott's support too!

Governor Perry Signs Critical Self-Defense Reform Bill!

On Tuesday, March 27, Governor Rick Perry (R) signed Senate Bill 378, NRA-supported “Castle Doctrine” legislation. Governor Perry’s signature made Texas the first state to adopt “Castle Doctrine” legislation in 2007! SB 378 will protect individuals who use force to defend themselves in their home, car and their place of business or employment, from criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits. It also states that you have no “duty to retreat” from an attack if you are in a place where you have a right to be, if you did not provoke your attacker, and if you are not engaged in criminal activity yourself.

Please thank Governor Perry and our bill sponsors for their leadership on this issue and their support of the right to self-defense for law-abiding Texas citizens!

Also, please thank Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) for standing up for our Second Amendment rights. Attorney General Abbott took the lead among the States in defending the individual right to keep and bear arms by submitting a brief on behalf of Texas and 12 other States opposing Washington, D.C.’s handgun-ban. Attorney General Abbott assembled the coalition of States, drafted a serious, scholarly legal brief laying out the constitutional foundation for the individual right to keep and bear arms. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down Washington D.C.’s handgun ban as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment on Friday, March 9.

Thanks to Attorney General Abbott for his leadership and initiative on this issue!