On May 22, the Texas Senate gave its final approval to House Bill 910: a bill expanding concealed carry to include the Open Carry of handguns in the Lone Star State.
HB 910 now goes to the House for approval, and after that, to Republican Gov. Greg Abbot’s desk.
On February 17 Breitbart News reported that Abbot has already made clear his intention to sign the bill, making Texas the 45th Open Carry state in the Union.
Concealed carry has been legal in Texas since 1995. But the Open Carry of handguns has been banned for 140 years. CBS DFW describes the Open Carry ban as a “post-Civil War era [action] that disarmed former Confederate soldiers and freed slaves.”
Austin Business Journal reports that Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick expects the House to add Campus Carry to HB 910 as an amendment, “to allow [the] open carry of weapons on university grounds before it is send to the governor for his signature.”
One amendment already added to HB 910 prevents police from randomly stopping open carriers to ask if they have a license to carry a gun. The Dallas Morning News reports that at least one state senator, Joan Hoffman (R-Dist. 17), believes this amendment is a “poison pill” designed to sink Open Carry before it can get to Abbott’s desk.
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.