Bills covering DEI, handguns draw concern from Music Commission

A proposed state bill that would allow licensed handguns into events held on government property was met with concern by members of the Music Commission on Monday.

House Bill 1715, which has been proposed for this year’s legislative session, was one of the bills discussed during a briefing from city staff on how city programs and interests could be impacted by some of the more than 10,000 bills slated for consideration this year. Another concern is the expected elimination of practices that promote diversity, equity and inclusion from any governmental body, with four relevant bills proposed so far.

Rick Ramirez, the city’s deputy governmental affairs officer, said the handgun law, which would prevent event contractors using government property from restricting licensed handgun carriers from entering or remaining on the property, is already receiving scrutiny from out-of-state event promoters worried about the liability cost.

“We’ve been talking with event organizers as well, and there are some event organizers who are from out of town who maybe don’t have the same kind of view on the use of guns because they’re from out of state,” he said. “We have been told that there would be an impact and they may look elsewhere, not want to come to Texas if that new law went into effect. So it is a very real threat to the way that we would host events, and it’s something that we’re very concerned about.”

Commissioners questioned the impact on community events as well, while others involved in the live music industry said the state’s lax regulations on firearms have caused dramatic increases in insurance premiums.

“I’ve been here for almost a year complaining about insurance. It was at like $86,000 a year and it went up to $120,000 a year because insurance companies are so scared of the ability to carry guns at music venues and the inability of venues to be able to stop people from having concealed carry licenses when it’s not really that tangible of a law or a law at all,” said Commissioner Pedro Carvalho, co-owner of the Far Out Lounge live music venue. “As a private place, we can tell people that they can’t have (a gun) but there’s not enough insurance companies in Texas in general to be able to have a clear vision of what you’re allowed to do in private spaces. So that’s a massive, massive blow to an already kind of hurt industry.”

For the music community, the proposed limits on DEI practices could have the most potential impact on the city’s grant programs that are funded by revenues from the Hotel Occupancy Tax. While programs like the Live Music Fund were initially conceived to have a heavy emphasis on equity and serving marginalized communities, the city’s legal staff advised a shift toward prioritizing financial considerations in the selection criteria because those practices haven’t come under legislative scrutiny.

Ramirez said the financial considerations don’t appear in any of the more than a dozen triggering phrases and concepts included in the DEI-related bills. He advised the commission and city staff to consult with the city’s legal department ahead of the rollout of the next Live Music Fund later this spring to make sure the program complies with any coming changes in state law.

“We have ideas and recommendations going in today that also are clearly trying to stay ahead of that and basing our grants on purely accomplishments and tourism needs, et cetera,” Chair Nagavalli Medicharla said. “We are working actively and staying alert in addressing these challenges. But it would still, as information comes in through the city, be good to hear from staff and the city manager’s office or the attorney on how we should be proceeding forward.”

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