Texas poised to allow open carry of handguns
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas lawmakers on Friday approved carrying handguns openly on the streets of the nation’s second most-populous state, sending the bill to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who immediately promised to sign it and reverse a ban dating to the post-Civil War era.
Gun owners would still have to get a license to carry a handgun in a visible holster.
The state known for its wild west, cowboy history and some the nation’s most relaxed gun laws, has allowed concealed handguns for 20 years.
But Texas was one of only six states with an outright ban on so-called open carry, and advocates have fought to be allowed to keep their guns in plain sight. Cast as an important expansion of the Second Amendment right to bear arms in the U.S. Constitution, it became a major issue for the state’s strong Republican majority.
“We think of Texas being gun happy, but we didn’t afford our citizens the same rights most other states do,” said Rep. Larry Phillips, a Republican from Sherman, one of the bill’s authors.
The House gave final approval on a mostly party-line 102-43 vote. A short time later, the Senate passed it 20-11, also along party lines, with all Republicans supporting it and all Democrats opposing.
The bill passed after lawmakers made concessions to law enforcement groups, who had been upset by an original provision that barred police from questioning people carrying guns if they have no other reason to stop them.
The final bill scrapped that language, meaning police will be able to ask Texans with handguns in plain sight if they have proper licenses.
Gun control advocates have argued that open carry is less about personal protection than intimidation. Gun rights groups have staged several large public rallies in recent years, sometimes at notable historical landmarks such as the Alamo, where members carried rifles in plain sight, which is legal.
Just like the current concealed handgun law, the bill requires anyone wanting to openly carry a handgun to get a license. Applicants must be 21, pass a background check and receive classroom and shooting range instruction.