ON TO THE NEXT STEP

Yesterday, the Texas Senate gave initial approval on a contentious bill to allow permitless carry of firearms in an 18-13 vote. The current House Bill 1927 removes the licensing requirement for Texans to carry firearms if they are 21 or older “and not otherwise prohibited by state or federal law from possessing the firearm.”

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Just a couple of weeks ago, Gov. Greg Abbott said he would sign a bill letting people carry handguns in public without a license if lawmakers pass it. He had been skirting the issue for weeks. The proposed bill would allow people to carry handguns in Texas without first getting a license if lawmakers choose to pass it  Well, we are now one step closer to this becoming a reality.

NOT SO FAST...

If the bill passes It will head back to the House for approval.  If the change that are reported below are approved, the bill heads to the Governor’s desk. If the changes are not agreed upon by the House, the bill heads to a conference committee where a panel of lawmakers will iron out the differences between the versions before sending the bill to the Governor’s desk.

WHAT WAS CHANGED

As reported by KXAN there have been many changes to the bill in the past two weeks. Senators added a provision to allow law enforcement officers to secure a handgun in a gun locker or other secure area when taking a person into the secure area of a police station.

They also approved a measure to prevent anyone from legally carrying a handgun in Texas if that person was convicted of crimes in the past five years such as terroristic threat, deadly conduct, an assault that causes bodily injury, and disorderly conduct with a firearm.  Senators also affirmed that a person cannot carry a handgun while intoxicated in a public space. Other amendments adopted included increased penalties for felons caught with a firearm and increased penalties for Texans' family violence convictions.

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