Texas Considers allowing open carry of handguns-news report

[Midwest]

Texas Considers allowing open carry of handguns

Mainstream news article about how Texas is considering allowing open carry of handguns after 140 years. It mentions the other states besides Texas like California, Florida, New York, Illinois and South Carolina that don't allow for open carry. Texas has 811,000 concealed licenses which is almost the size of San Fransisco according to the article.

Of course the anti's are against the bill (what else is new?). Also mentioned is Rep. Jonathan Stickland's bill which would bring constitutional carry to Texas for both open and concealed.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/14/texas-considers-allowing-open-carry-handguns/



"That could change in 2015, with the Republican-dominated Legislature and Gov.-elect Greg Abbott expected to push for expanded gun rights.

"If open carry is good enough for Massachusetts, it's good enough for the state of Texas," Abbott said the day after his election last month.

And if Texas, which allows concealed handguns, embraces open carry — rolling back a 140-year ban — it would be the largest state to have done so.

Open carry drew wide support in the 2014 statewide election, and at least six bills have already been filed for the upcoming session, which starts in January. Abbott has already pledged to sign one into law if sent to his desk."
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[calaverasslim]

We hoping. The state legislature is pro-gun but do they have the huevos to do it.

 

[Red Wind]

I sure hope Texas takes this step. Hopefully Florida, the next most populous state without open carry other than New York, follows up. I am cautiously optimistic.

 

[Art Eatman]

Might's well just sit back and relax. The Lege doesn't get going until late January, and there will be all the usual hoopla and delays.

 

[steve4102]

As far a s I know this is nothing new to Texas. They have had carry Bills in committee several times in the past, they just never made it out of committee.

Now as it has always been, they have a long bumpy road to get any of these on the Governor's desk.

I know organizations like Texas Rifle Ass. have been working hard on this stuff for a lot of years, hopefully this year or two will bring success.

 

[tarosean]

Not that I would partake, but it would be nice not to worry about concealing 100%

 

[Midwest]

As far a s I know this is nothing new to Texas.

It is a national news story now, its not just a pro-gun story anymore in pro-gun forums.
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[Frank Ettin]

This will not be turned into another "open carry -- good or bad?" thread!

We're discussing the law and legislative process here. Please stay on topic. Some posts have already disappeared.

 

[Midwest]

I find Rep. Jonathan Stickland's bill which would bring constitutional carry to Texas for both open and concealed...., very interesting. How much support is it getting?
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[alientrainwreck]

I live in oklahoma we have open carry as long as you have a concealed carry permit and it seems everybody does, I can say that its nice to not have to try so hard to conceal my pistol plus I can carry my full size pistol now, it is also nice in the summer time when its to hot for anything but a t-shirt and I see people every day wearing their pistol. I have been in a store waiting in line were all of us were carrying, the bad guys wouldn't have a chance trying to shoot the man with a gun first because everyone has a gun even the people that don't have carry permits carry now openly it is just normal and their is the issue of stores posting no guns sighns on their door, well the people just didn't use that store anymore and after a few months the sighns got took down, sure their are a few places you cannot carry in but as a retired LEO I carry every where I go my little airlight 38 is always riding on my ancle. Also FWIW if this law had been in place 15 yrs ago I would not be retired as I was shot twice off Duty and the violent crimes here have stopped. I love being able to carry my gun any way I wish.. just my two cents worth on the topic.

 

[bigfatdave]

Good, push it through or fire more of your congressthings for NOT pushing it through

Post in Activism if there's anything outsiders can do to help

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Gov. GREG ABBOTT has been very PRO gun and for open carry. I believe from talking to my state reps that it will pass this year just to upset the libs in Austin.

 

[[email protected]]

We have open carry here in Missouri for CCW permit holders. It's working fine.

 

[Tinker]

Does this mean that Texas is going all "Wild West" on us? Can already see the NYT headlines. Hope so.

As a native Texan I cannot believe how stringent their gun laws are compared to the "Mild East" where I live in Alabama. ....about time. Good luck (and hit the phones).

 

[RustyShackelford]

Texas, Florida.....

That is good for Texas.
Florida has many pro 2A/gun statues.
The big hang ups for open carry & broader gun laws comes mostly from the FL Sheriff's Assoc & the police groups.
The recent Zimmerman/Martin & Dunn(Jacksonville) incidents don't help things either.
Florida does have Marion Hammer, , she is good with the local media & pushes hard for CCW license holders/Florida gun owners.

 

[JRH6856]

Under the Texas Constitution, the legislature has the power to regulate the wearing of arms, so any type of carry the legislature allows is, by definition, constitutional carry.

Anything that one legislature allows, another may prohibit.

To have the right to bear arms constitutionally protected from legislative action requires amending the state constitution which can only be done with approval of 2/3 of each house of the legilature and 2/3 of the popular vote. There is not enough support in either house for such an amendment, so we hare left to depend on the permission of the legislature for whatever type of carry they decide to allow.

A key to how this will go is who wins the contest for house speaker. Joe Straus, the current speaker will seek to retain the gavel, and he has not allowed previous open carry bills to reach a the floor. If he retains the office, I don't expect to see anything different this time around.

 

[Tony k]

I was surprised to learn that such a seemingly pro-freedom state like Texas did not allow open carry.

Can't remember where I read/ heard it (probably on THR), but I thought some southern states banned open carry after the Civil War in order to keep black people "in their place." If that's true,Texas could rightly argue that repealing bans on OC is a win for equality and justice.

Just a thought...

 

[km101]

Gov-elect Abbott is pro-gun and has said that he will sign an open carry bill IF it reaches his desk. But Speaker of the Texas House is Joe Straus, who is anti-gun. The Speaker controls the flow of legislation, and he has not allowed past Open Carry bills out of committee, so Abbott's promise may be an empty one.

With all the negative press generated, both locally and nationally, by some of the Open Carry advocates in N. Texas I don't think we will see an Open Carry bill passed this session, or any session while Joe Straus is Speaker.

 

[amprecon]

What is weird is that we just moved from WA state where open carry is legal, to Texas where it is not...

 

[CoalTrain49]

What is weird is that we just moved from WA state where open carry is legal, to Texas where it is not...

I think Texas changed their carry law before WA was even a state. At least TX is a red state.

 

[orionengnr]

A key to how this will go is who wins the contest for house speaker. Joe Straus, the current speaker will seek to retain the gavel, and he has not allowed previous open carry bills to reach a the floor. If he retains the office, I don't expect to see anything different this time around.

Bingo.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Hopefully, instead of legalizing open carry, Texas simply repeals the laws against it and become a traditional open carry state. Less government intervention, the better.

What has been legalized my the legislature is then easier to amend by the same. And by amend, I mean restrict.

In my state, open carry is legal because there is nothing that says otherwise. We aren't granted the privilege of open carry by big brother.