The Texas Senate passed the “open carry” bill, SB 17, on second reading Monday evening after about three and a half hours of debate. The vote was on partisan lines, with the 20 Republican Senators voting in favor of the bill, and the 11 Democrats voting against it. The bill still needs to go to third reading before it will be deemed officially passed by the Senate.
This week, Governor Greg Abbott (R-Texas) reaffirmed his commitment to sign into law an open carry bill currently being considered by the Texas Legislature.
The Texas Senate is expected to a bring pro-gun open carry bill to the floor for a vote as early as Monday. The move comes after the 60-day bill filing period ended on Friday. The Texas Legislature may now vote on and pass any bills. Before the first sixty days has passed, the Legislature may only approve bills on issues designated as “emergency items” by the Governor.
On March 8 the Idaho Statesman publish an opinion article by a College of Western Idaho history instructor claiming the history of firearm carry laws are based on racism.
Idaho is one of the many states now considering a repeal of the requirement for a concealed carry permit in order to carry a firearm in public. Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler supports the move, suggesting the 2nd Amendment acts as citizens’ concealed carry permit.
With support for Constitutional Carry gaining momentum in a manner reminiscent of the way concealed carry gained momentum before sweeping the country in the 1990s, The Washington Post (WaPo) has resorted to trying to stir up enough panic to get numerous state legislatures to abandon the idea.
When the Kansas House reconvenes on Wednesday, they will take up legislation to rescind the requirement for concealed carry permits in their state.
Ninety-six Maine lawmakers are sponsoring a bill to rescind the requirement for a concealed carry permit in the Pine Tree state.
About two hundred gun rights activists gathered on the south steps of the Texas Capitol to show support for expanding gun rights in Texas on Saturday. While much of the talk was about gun rights, many of the speakers used the word that Governor Greg Abbott used in his State of the State address this week when he said, “Let me briefly follow up on a word I mentioned a moment ago – liberty. In a single word, it encapsulates what this country stands for, what Texas symbolizes. I will expand liberty in Texas by signing a law that makes Texas the 45th state to allow open carry.”
While Texas has been front and center in the news with the push for Open and Campus Carry, lawmakers in Florida and Arkansas made big gains in the push for various types of Campus Carry in their states during the past week.
On February 17, Breitbart News reported that Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America lost when Texas Governor Greg Abbot used his State of the State Address to make clear that Texas will be the 45th state in the country to allow the open carry of handguns.
Governor Greg Abbott (R) handed Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America another loss on February 17 when he announced that he will indeed sign open carry into law, thereby “[making] Texas the 45th state to allow Open Carry.” Abbott
On February 12, the New Hampshire Senate voted to rescind the state’s permit requirement for concealed carry of handguns.
After a long day of debate and passionate public testimony from both sides, the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee has voted to recommend that the Texas Senate pass both SB 11, the “campus carry” bill, and SB 17, the “open carry” bill. Both bills now head to the full Texas Senate for consideration. The vote came just before 6:00 pm Central Time on Thursday.
Gun control proponent Mark Kelly—husband of Gabby Giffords—described a recent video by Open Carry Tarrant County’s Kory Watkins as “disgusting.”
Kory Watkins, the head of Open Carry Tarrant County (OCTC), has posted a video message that is raising alarm for seeming to make death threats against members of the Texas Legislature who do not support removing license requirements and other restrictions on the open carry of guns.
According to The Lansing States Journal, “The eight women… asked shoppers to shop elsewhere until Kroger prohibits customers openly carrying guns [for self-defense].”
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R) has referred two bills expanding the open carry of guns to committee, a crucial step needed before the legislation can reach the floor for debate and a vote. The move was announced Monday afternoon, a week after Patrick had made comments in an interview casting doubt about whether there was sufficient support for a bill allowing the open carry of handguns this session.
Former Texas Land Commissioner and open carry advocate Jerry Patterson says “nut jobs” have pushed open carry “off the rails” in Texas.
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick referred the Campus Carry Bill to the Senate State Affairs Committee on Wednesday. The move comes one day following what has been seen by some as a contradictory statement about open carry legislation. Lt. Gov.
Port Arthur, Texas Police Chief Mark Blanton went on record saying he opposes Governor Greg Abbott’s plans to sign a law making Texas the 45th state to allow some kind of open carry.
Democrat Wendy Davis, who made national news for running one of the year’s most aggressively catastrophic campaigns, clawed her way back into the headlines this week with her comment that the “one thing” she would do differently in her race against Republican Greg Abbott is to abandon her support for the open carry of firearms.
In January 2014, Breitbart News reported that 2013 had been “The Year of the Gun.” Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) didn’t intend it to be that way, but it emerged as the year gun control was defeated.
With Texas Governor-elect Greg Abbott’s (R) pledge to sign open carry legislation once it reaches his desk, and state lawmakers introducing six open carry bills since the November 4 midterm elections, it appears Texas is getting closer to the open
