Texas House passes open carry, excludes city opt outs
A number of rural Democrats jumped ship in the final vote for a bill Monday to allow open carry in the Lone Star State that would include some of the largest cities in the country.
The easy 101-42 roll call, which picked up seven House Democrats, clears the bill to grant Texans with a concealed carry permit and sends it to the Senate for concurrence.
The final day of debate saw the defeat of a proposed opt-out that would have exempted Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin from the expanded carry rights measure. Urban lawmakers argued that the four metro areas, ranked among the dozen largest cities in the nation by population, should be treated differently.
“Rural open carry is different than densely populated open carry,” said Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, who proposed the amendment. “If you put this to a vote in big cities, I think people are going to say resoundingly no.” SOURCE
Open carry of weapons; a topic that has long been a *hot button* for gun owners and anti-gun people as well.
Bill sponsors did not concur.
“The responsible gun owners of big cities are responsible just like elsewhere,” said Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman.
Rep. Phillips is quite correct in his statement, responsible gun owners, and therein lies the fly in the ointment.
Thankfully *most* lawful gun owners are responsible and adhere to safe gun practices but there is always that *clown* that wants to be John Wayne and will get out there and make a fool of himself by playing *cowboy*.
You know the guy; we’ve all seen them from time to time. They spend a ton of money to play *dress up* and have never taken so much as the first basic training course on handgun safety and proper usage, but he is determined to become the next *Top Shot* or a famous *quick draw* artist.
A great many of these guys end up with a nickname like *Stubby* for the toes they have blown off while trying to learn how to do something they never should have attempted in the first place.
People like that do a lot more harm to gun ownership and how the public perceives gun owners than they realize, but then you have people like this.
However, as noted by CJ Grisham, president of Open Carry Texas, the current legislation is not inclusive of the majority of the state’s gun owners.
“We now encourage the legislature to hear and pass bills that will affect the other 97 percent of Texans that choose not to pay for a handgun license and surrender their rights,” he said in a statement emailed to Guns.com. “HB 910 is a step in the right direction for fixing the CHL, now let’s fix the loss of our right to keep and bear arms.”
These Open Carry Texas people would cry if they were hung with a new rope.
It has been MY experience with Open Carry Texas that NO gun laws, of any kind, is all that is going to satisfy their agenda. As far as Open Carry Texas, and their even more radical group in Ft. Worth are concerned, you have a right to carry anything you want to carry in any manner you see fit, even if you have never fired a gun in your life.
Let me say, I am pleased that Open Carry is soon to become a reality here in Texas, I have no issues with Open Carry as long as the person carrying the gun is of sound mind, has been properly trained in gun safety and handling and is carrying in a lawful manner.
If that is considered an *infringement* then I guess I am going to have to rethink my own line of reasoning. It is people like O.C.T. and their *devil may care* attitude about *gun ownership and open carry for all* that damned near got open carry thrown OUT in Texas with their ridiculous demands and threats made against Texas lawmakers.
Personal responsibility, training and safety; those should be paramount in ALL actions regarding guns and vetting new gun users should be the first thing that happens.
Many will disagree with me on this but I am fully convinced that *some* people don’t need to own a squirt gun.
Have a Texas CHL and believe the passage of this law will make it much easier to carry while wearing lighter clothing in the warmer months. Don’t have to worry about gun “printing” anymore. Believe it will also make the large urban areas of the state safer as the law will make the pavement apes more cautious as to who they prey upon. As the saying goes an armed populace is a polite populace. But you are right there are some people who shouldn’t be allowed within 100 feet of a firearm. That’s what the background checks and testing are for.
Good on ya Fred. I can’t even remember when I got interested in firearms but I do remember when you could buy a gun at Sears & Roebuck with no hassel at all. That was on Staten Island, N.Y. many years ago. Look at New York now. Concealed carry is my choice because I prefer to keep the muggers guessing. Open carry is a right guaranteed by our second amendment if our so called betters would obey The Constitution.Our society has been conditioned to view guns and their owners as backward, knuckle dragging mouth breathers. Our faith in God and love of country will, I believe win in the end.
As I understand the law “Open carry” will only be allowed for those who have a current CHL. I’m not saying I would like licensed carry in Nazi Jersey or the People’s Republic of Oregon, but I think it’s a pretty safe bet that here in Texas, which is a “shall issue” state, that the bg check is a good thing. I think our Texas gummint is pretty solid on 2nd amendment issues. Now, as far as carrying open, the biggest advantage I see is the same as minuteman26 points out. If my vest blows back or my hip grip prints under my shirt, there will no longer be a reason for the blue haired ladies (of either sex) to be calling the police.
Keep your powder dry
Congrats to your State. One small step for man. One giant step for Texas.
Seems to me to add to security. Flip said “What you see is what you get.” And leaves wondering…”what don’t I see?”
I’m for open carry. However, some people are not safe with firearms and that is a big problem. I don’t think it’s just not being trained but also just something in some people’s personalities that makes them unsafe.I know one person here who should know better but is a danger to both himself and others when her goes shooting. Those who know him now refuse to shoot with him. I saw the same thing with boaters when I was on the water almost every day of the year and I came to the conclusion that some people just shouldn’t be allowed to operate a boat.
The same thing applies to cars, power tools, and other things. There are stupid people, there will always be stupid people. We can’t fix stupid, but we can stay away from them, especially when there is potential danger attached to them. Situational awareness will help you see these people before something happens to you.
Capt Ron—- The problem is that a lot of those stupid people carry and stupid people pass laws to allow other stupid people to carry. Its way past time for thorough background checks and psychological profiles and training by certified professionals before issuing a permit.
No, Kay it’s not. Someone (with or with our a bunch of extra letters after their name) because they stayed in school for several extra years instead of getting a job should not have any say in whether I (or you) participate in a God-given RIGHT. What part of “right” do you not understand. The right to self-defense is “God-given” (NOT “psychologist who says I’m ok given!”)
‘out’ not “our”…
The law says that if you have a CCW permit, that you can open carry. If a person has a CCW permit, that tells me the person is basically a law abiding citizen as they had to pass a background check to get the permit. It also tells me that they had some form of training and had to demonstrate proficiency to pass the course. Granted, it’s not the best indicator of proficiency but it’s better than they guy who never fired a gun but carries one.
Also, I think they should limit open carry to handguns only. Those clowns carrying AR-15’s, AK-47’s, and shotguns in stores and restaurants only give decent respectful gun owners a bad name.
As far as open vs concealed carry, I’m with Wayne and prefer concealed. Open carry tends to invite too much attention to yourself. Also, my dad bought me a single shot .22 back in 1970. He ordered it at the J.C. Penny’s where we lived.
Bob, in ’61 my dad bought my Nylon 66 for my fourteenth birthday at a gun store in New Jersey. In ’63 I got my Model 94 Winchester in 30-30 for my first year of deer hunting with my father. New York and New Jersey were not as strict as they are now. I was a Cub Scout, a Boy Scout and an Explorer Scout and our scout leaders were all avid hunters and fishermen and our rifle program taught us gun safety under the NRA guidelines. I believe it was called the Ranger Program. Anyway, times sure have changed.
Fred, I think it is a good idea and I agree with you on training. Training is paramount, and at least a chl is required since those licensees get some training. Safety is of the utmost importance, and that gets back to my comment above on stupid people. I don’t know if I myself will open carry, but I can see doing it in some instances.
Ron, it’s my opinion that if you advertise the fact that you are armed you could be setting yourself up for two or more people of dubious character to jump and disarm you. Not a good situation to be in.