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(AUSTIN, TX May 4, 2017) State Representative Justin Holland (R-Heath) recently passed House Bill 3784, relating to persons approved by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to administer online the classroom instruction part of the handgun proficiency course.

HB 3784 allows for an approved online course provider to administer the classroom instruction part and written portion of the handgun proficiency course in an online format, in an attempt to ease access to the handgun safety and training course required to obtain a License to Carry (LTC). The Department of Public Safety uses similar learning methods for driver education, driver safety, and Alcohol and Drug Awareness.

With over one million LTC holders in the State of Texas, Im proud to author an important piece of legislation that expands access to LTC classes through online training, while still providing beneficial handgun training on the firing range, said State Rep. Justin Holland.

HB 3784 now heads to the upper chamber where State Senator Van Taylor (R-Plano) is sponsoring the legislation.

Access to our Second Amendment rights should not require law abiding citizens to jump through government regulations. As we seek to expand our second amendment freedoms, this is a commonsense accommodation that will allow LTC applicants to complete the classroom portion of the LTC class and written test online, Sen. Taylor said.

Click here to track the status of HB 3784.

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State Rep. Holland passes pro-second amendment legislation - Blue Ribbon News

In an announcement tonight eurocrats said there was no justification for keeping police checkpoints at frontiers within the bloc and said they must be removed by the end of the year.

The diktat means that Austria, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway will all have to swiftly find alternative ways to police irregular movements of people across their borders.

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France, which has had checkpoints in place at its borders since the November 2015 terror attacks, is the only country to be exempted as it is still in a state of emergency.

Announcing the measure tonight, the EUs migration chief Dimitris Avramopoulos said the time had come to return to a normal functioning of the Schengen area.

EXPRESS

He added that the five member states, which have been given a final six month extension to get their border controls in order, had been made aware of what was expected of them.

The Greek official said: Schengen is one of the greatest achievements of the European project and the most tangible example of European integration.

We must do everything to safeguard protect and defend it. But the only way to do this is in a joint, European and coordinated way.

What we propose today is to gradually phase out temporary internal border controls whilst at the same time strengthening the usual, proportionate police checks across the territory of the member states.

This will be the last prolongation

EU migration chief Dimitris Avramopoulos

Mr Avramopoulos warned: These temporary border controls, and this goes for all internal border controls, should be exceptional, proportionate and as a last resort for a strict and a limited period.

This will be the last prolongation. No more than the next six months. They [member states] know that this is the last prolongation.

However, the member states will not be granted any additional powers to police their borders above and beyond what was already in place two years ago when the migration crisis first began.

Instead Mr Avramopoulos said national authorities should make use of the existing police powers more effectively and cited the example of increasing camera checks on motorway traffic.

Eurocrats said the border controls could be lifted because the blocs external frontiers, which are not patrolled by a centralised Brussels coastguard, are more secure.

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First Vice-President Frans Timmermans said: "Thanks to our joint efforts, our external borders are now stronger and more secure. By working together it is possible to have both security and freedom of movement.

This means that in six months' time we will get back to a fully functioning Schengen area without internal border controls."

The five countries, which all saw unprecedented levels of migration via the Western Balkans route through 2015 and 2016, last had their permission to carry out internal checks renewed in February this year.

A controversial and vulnerable deal between the EU and Turkey has seen the number of people arriving in Greece plummet to just two per cent compared to at the height of the migrant crisis.

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BORDER BOMBSHELL: Brussels orders EU countries to SCRAP internal checks within six months - Express.co.uk

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The unprecedented migrant crisis in the Mediterranean has sparked the invention of several NGOs, who have launched their own rescue ships. Yet critics in Italy have denounced their invention as a racket that must be stopped.

Sicilian prosecutor Carmelo Zuccaro claimed to have evidence that there are direct contacts between certain NGOs and people traffickers in Libya.

I am 100 percent in agreement with prosecutor Zuccaro

Angelino Alfano

Mr Zuccaro's remarks come just days after Italy's parliament approved a measure to speed up asylum proceedings for migrants processed in Italy.

Minister of Justice Andrea Orlando, refuted the debate and said: It is not appropriate to make up a story saying (aid organisations) working in the Mediterranean are colluding with people smugglers because that is a lie.

UNICEF

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A migrant gestures from behind the bars of a cell at a detention centre in Libya

I hope the Catania prosecutor's office will let its investigations speak for it because I think it's the best way to clarify things quickly.

But not long afterwards, the Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano contradicted Orlando, and said that he agreed 100 per cent with the allegations Zuccaro made.

Mr Alfano continued: I am 100 percent in agreement with prosecutor Zuccaro, as he asked a real question.

Those who become indignant at the drop of a hat are hypocrites.

Mdecins Sans Frontires, whose staff work on two rescue ships, dismissed the claims as baseless.

The United Nations Refugee Agency reported more than 37,000 people have been rescued making the crossing between Africa and Italy this year alone, which constitutes a 40 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2016.

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The UN also reported that at least 1,000 have died trying to make the trip.

Smugglers have been accused of launching boats packed with migrants from Libyan beaches with little fuel and cheap outboard engines, knowing full well that they are likely to be rescued once they reach international waters.

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Matteo Salvini, the leader of the right-wing Northern League political party, claims he intends to sue the Italian government.

He said: When 8,500 illegal immigrants arrive in three days, its clear that it is all organised.

It is quite clear that clandestine immigration is being organised. So weve decided to sue the government and the commanders of the navy and coast guard.

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Migrants '100 per cent being smuggled into Europe by NGOs', Italian minister agrees - Express.co.uk

Vice President Mike Pence joined "CBS This Morning" to discuss the Trump administration's stance on North Korea, the United States' relationship with China, and the budget deal Congress passed over the weekend. Below is a full transcript.

CHARLIE ROSE: We're in the East Room, having a remarkable day, a special day for us-- getting a chance to see this magnificent building, feel the patriotism, feel the sense of history here. And we're especially glad now to be joined by the vice president of the United States. Welcome.

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Thank you very much. And welcome to the White House.

GAYLE KING: Thank you.

CHARLIE ROSE: Let me begin with North Korea. You were there. Tell me the impact of being there-- and-- and where you think this conflict is right now. Because the president talked to John Dickerson and-- and characterized the North Korean leader.

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Well, it's-- it's a very serious time in the region. And it's a very serious threat to the peace and stability of our allies. And-- I-- I think-- as the president has said again and again, North Korea represents the most serious security threat in the world.

And he wanted me to go there. He wanted me to reaffirm our commitment to South Korea, to Japan, to our allies in the region, but to stand there, as I had the privilege to do-- at the DMZ and to look into North Korea-- for me-- was-- it-- it was-- it was a chilling experience to-- to look into a nation-- living under the kind of oppressive regime-- that--

CHARLIE ROSE: Everybody--

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: --Kim family means in Pyongyang.

CHARLIE ROSE: Everybody knows-- that the best way to get something done here is through China, with China. The president constantly talks about this relationship he has with Xi Jinping. What are the Chinese doing, specifically, that's making-- the chances of eliminating this problem--

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Well, look--

CHARLIE ROSE: --easier?

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: --we-- yeah, the-- and the president's made it clear. We seek a peaceable solution here. And-- but the key is that-- that-- the message he had me make clear, he had the secretary of state make clear, and he's made clear, is that the era of strategic patience is over-- that-- that now, for more than a quarter of a century, the United States has-- has-- in-- in one way or another-- negotiated, had talks, waited patiently. All the while we've seen the regime in North Korea continue its headlong pursuit of nuclear weapons-- and a ballistic missile program.

And the president said that's over. We're engaging our allies in the region, to economically and diplomatically isolate North Korea. But what's really new here, I think it's a great encouragement to people across this country and across the world, is that you have a president-- in President Trump who's engaging directly with the president of China. And we are seeing China do more than they have done before.

CHARLIE ROSE: And what is that?

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Well, we-- we have word of-- of China turning back coal shipments from North Korea. We have word of them-- beginning to-- reduce the amount of commercial travel that exists between North Korea. But as the secretary of state said at the U.N. last week, China needs to do more.

We're calling on our allies in the region to reconsider their diplomatic relations with North Korea. We're-- we're calling on allies in the region to reconsider their guest worker program that provides an enormous amount of cur-- currency to the regime. The key here is for the-- the United States-- and our allies in the region, working with China-- to provide the kind of economic and diplomatic pressure that will result in the regime in Pyongyang-- ending permanently-- their nuclear and ballistic missile ambition.

Now we also made it clear all options are on the table. And-- in-- in-- in actions the world has seen the president take in Syria and Afghanistan, President Trump in a very real way has-- has restored the credibility of American power. And they know that-- they know that we are-- we are prepared to defend our allies and defend--

GAYLE KING: So we've made it clear--

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: --ourselves. But we're going to drive toward a peaceable solution.

GAYLE KING: We've made it clear, Mr. Vice President. Have they -- have-- do you have a sense of what they want in return from us?

CHARLIE ROSE: The North Koreans?

GAYLE KING: Yes. Yes.

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Well, we-- I-- I don't think we do at this point. We continue to see one provocation after another. This-- this weekend began with-- another failed missile launch from North Korea-- even while the world community was discussing the issue at the U.N. Security--

GAYLE KING: So how--

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: --Council.

GAYLE KING: --do we get at that, to find out, "What do you want in return?" What-- what is the whole purpose here--

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Well, I-- I-- honestly, I think North Korea knows what the world community wants. The world community has been united for--

GAYLE KING: No, I want to

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: --a quarter of a century.

GAYLE KING: --know what they want. What-- I-- I'm-- I'm curious about what their-- what they want.

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Well--

NORAH O'DONNELL: --they want an end to sanctions--

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Well-- well, thean -- I think this is a terrific question because one of the things that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has made clear is that under President Donald Trump we are not going to negotiate to get the right to negotiate. We're not going to negotiate to get at the negotiating table. North Korea knows through U.N. actions in the past, through pronouncements by the world community, they need to abandon their nuclear program, abandon their ballistic missile program, they need to stand down in a very real sense to have the right to engage the world community on the way forward.

NORAH O'DONNELL: Mr. Vice President, can I ask you, before Congress finally reached agreement on this spending agreement last night so there won't be a government shutdown, but it does not include money for the wall and it does continue funding for Planned Parenthood. Are you disappointed?

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: We couldn't be more pleased that thanks to President Trump's leadership and direct engagement, last night at the White House and leaders in the House and Senate in both parties signed off on a budget deal. It'll avert a government shutdown but more important than that there's going to be a significant increase in military spending. Our armed forces have been hollowed out in recent years by budget cuts. 21 billion dollars in defense spending in this bill. There's also a down payment on border security. I think the American people are encouraged to hear that since our inauguration, illegal border crossings are down 60 plus percent in this country. And in this bill there's a down payment on additional border security. I'm also pleased to see as the President was insistent on that we're providing support for health benefits for coal miners and here in the District of Columbia we're continuing an educational choice program for disadvantaged children that began back in the days when I was in the Congress. So this is a budget deal that's a bipartisan win for the American people and the President signed off on the parameters early yesterday. Republicans and Democrats reached an agreement with the White House last night and I think--

NORAH O'DONNELL: There was compromise--

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: --that's a good piece of Monday morning news for the American people.

NORAH O'DONNELL: --there was compromise.

GAYLE KING: The President told John Dickerson over the weekend that there was a learning curve for the Republican party and he said for himself as well. Do you feel that?

VICE PRESIDENT PENCE: Well for me it's just been an incredibly humbling experience to be able to come to this building every day to serve as Vice President to President Donald Trump. But I think for our colleagues on Capitol Hill particularly, as we continue to drive toward our promise of repealing and replacing Obamacare, as we lay a foundation for an infrastructure bill, for President Trump's call for the largest tax cut in American history, I think this the learning process for many on Capitol Hill about governing has been moving forward.

And I think this morning's announcement about reaching a bipartisan deal on budget says that the American people can be encouraged that Washington is working again thanks to the strong leadership of President Donald Trump. Thanks to his direct engagement with members of congress. We're seeing real progress

GAYLE KING: I hear you have Wednesday night dinners for people

NORAH O'DONNELL: Thank you, Mr. Vice President, we are out of time. Thank you so much--

GAYLE KING: --I would like to come to a Wednesday night dinner.

NORAH O'DONNELL: --for joining us.

Originally posted here:
VP Mike Pence talks to "CBS This Morning": Full Transcript - CBS News

posted at 10:41 pm on May 2, 2017 by Allahpundit

I asked the same question this morning. There are no good answers but there are answers.

RUSH: Mr. Vice President, weve been told this for 15 years, well get em next time, after every continuing resolution

THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, we got em this time.

RUSH: well get em next time, well kick the can down the road, well get em next time.

THE VICE PRESIDENT: We got em this time, $21 billion in defense spending at a time I gotta tell you, I was out there visiting troops in South Korea. I was standing on the deck of the USS Reagan in the harbor in Japan. Look, the president has made it clear, his number one priority is national defense and national security. And to say in this very first budget bill, instead of getting gridlock, instead of getting a government shutdown, which Washingtons been pretty good at for a while, we actually made process and were making a significant investment (crosstalk)

RUSH: Okay, but why then is the president now suggesting a budget shutdown in September or October? If its no good now, why is it good then? You guys were sent there to drain the swamp. Theres a clear Trump agenda that just isnt seeable. Its not visible in this budget, and some people are getting concerned that theres more concern for bipartisanship and crossing the aisle, working with Democrats, than there is in draining the swamp and actually peeling away all of the roughage that is preventing actually moving forward here on so many of these issues that affect people domestically.

The only way to defend the bill is to focus on defense spending, particularly the fact that Republicans didnt have to match that $21 billion for the Pentagon dollar-for-dollar with funding for non-military domestic programs, as was the case during the Obama era. How difficult was it to wring that concession from Schumer given the state of play in foreign policy, though? Were on the brink of a war with North Korea thatll devastate the Korean peninsula and could conceivably turn nuclear, with thousands of American soldiers in harms way. We just attacked Syria to punish Assad for crossing the red line against chemical weapons, a move cheered by both parties, including just today by Hillary Clinton. Democrats are seething at Putin and Russia for meddling in the campaign and eager for Trump to take a more hostile posture towards Moscow. And of course theyre under pressure to reconnect with Trumps blue-collar base, many of whom are suspicious of the left for being weak and politically correct towards terrorism. Under the circumstances, Democrats had lots of incentives not to resist a boost to defense spending. If theyd gone to the mat to block it and war broke out next week with Pyongyang, Fox News would be running headlines for weeks about liberals having stabbed Americas troops in the back in a moment of crisis. That $21 billion is a win, but its not some uniquely Republican win the way that, say, choking off funding for the border wall is a clear win for Democrats. And dont forget its a much smaller number than Trump had asked for. Even his big win is something of a defeat.

Also, explain this logic to me from Mick Mulvaneys presser today:

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney angrily ripped Democrats for spiking the football over the spending bill passed this week that funds the government through September, saying President Trump cut a tremendous deal for the American people.

Mulvaney added that the Democrats wanted a shutdown to make the Trump administration look bad

They wanted a shutdown. We know that, he said. They were desperate to make this administration look like we couldnt function, like we couldnt govern.

If the bill is a victory for Republicans because it averted a shutdown, whats the argument for ever going to the mat and refusing a Democratic demand? Why not cave on everything? Schumer will spend the next four years trying to make the White House look like it cant function. (With the GOP paralyzed on health care, he doesnt need to work hard.) If top priority for Team Trump is making sure not to give him any evidence to support that claim then theyre going to have to cave in September too, when Trump vowed the GOP would make its stand. And now that Schumers seen how nervous Trump and Mulvaney are about being blamed if a shutdown occurs, hes going to push at least as hard next time as he did this time. Semi-serious exit question: Is defense spending all Schumer needs to compromise on in order to win on everything else? If Pence is willing to sell this turd of a bill on the Rush Limbaugh Show as some great victory simply because Democrats didnt hassle the White House on money for the troops, Schumer might happily repeat that bargain going forward. Trump gets money for the military, Dems get to say theyre tough on national defense, and meanwhile the left wins on everything else.

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Rush to Mike Pence: If you're willing to shut down the government in September to block a bad spending bill, why not ... - Hot Air