Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Texans: Are you ready for ‘Constitutional Carry,’ the unlicensed carry of handguns?

Online poll at end of article, vote on this one!

https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article221904935.html

November 26, 2018 06:30 AM

There may be a new gun fight at the Texas Capitol next year.

State Rep. Jonathan Stickland has filed a bill to allow “Constitutional Carry” — to let any Texan who legally owns a handgun carry it openly or concealed without first getting a permit — across the state.

“It is a major legislative priority for the Republican Party and very popular with my constituents,” said Stickland, R-Bedford. “I think there’s a real need for it.”

Texans have long been able to openly carry rifles and shotguns without a license except in places where carrying long guns is specifically outlawed.

As for handguns, laws have evolved to let gun owners carry handguns openly or concealed, in most areas of the state, including some college campuses.

But they need a License to Carry, which requires Texans to undergo training and pay a fee to have the license.

“This bill will make License to Carry optional,” Stickland said. “We would no longer require a license to carry a gun in Texas.”

This proposal, which comes in the wake of deadly school shootings and proposed school safety plans, could be part of a bigger safety discussion in the legislative session that begins Jan. 8.

Opponents say a majority of Texans are not calling for this change.

“Unlicensed carry is out of the mainstream,” said Marsha McCartney, a spokeswoman for the Texas chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. “It is not what Texans want.

“Maybe (Stickland) should pay a little attention to what they do want.”

Stickland filed bills to allow constitutional carry in Texas in both 2015 and 2017, but they were overshadowed by other gun proposals.

The measure last year made it farther than in the past, being heard in a committee hearing, although it never reached the Texas House floor.

After the proposal died, “we made a decision, as much as we can, to help Texas pass constitutional carry next year,” Tim Macy, chairman of Gun
Owners of America, said during the Republican Party of Texas state convention in June. “We will use resources ... to push the Legislature and governor (to make law) constitutional carry.”

Republicans long have had the call for constitutional carry in their party’s platform, an outline of party beliefs that candidates do not always follow and are not bound by.

He said he believes it will gain support from more Republicans and a growing number of Democrats.

“They understand that when you have to pay a fee and take a test for your rights, that’s hurting minorities more than anything else.”

Guns in Texas

But that doesn’t mean such a proposal will pass the Texas Legislature this year, McCartney said.

“I would suggest to Mr. Stickland that he try really hard to get in with the mainstream,” McCartney said. “He didn’t get even 50 percent during this election.

“That means there are a whole lot of people who don’t agree with him.”

Stickland won his re-election bid with 49.83 percent, to Democratic challenger Steve Riddell’s 47.40 percent and Libertarian Eric P. Espinoza’s 2.75 percent.

Stickland, who noted that he “didn’t really even campaign” in his re-election bid, believes this bill will go farther in 2019 than it did last year.

“I think it’s the year it can pass the House,” Stickland said. “And I highly doubt (Lt. Gov.) Dan Patrick will want it dying in the Senate.”

It won't make any difference.

right

Lawby Jeebus save us all. If this law passes, Texans will be carrying guns.

we do regardless.

Indeed we do.

Bring it. Why should I have my day interrupted and have to produce a piece of paper to support my innocence?

We'd have had this already, several years ago, had it not been for that cretin Joe Strauss.

I believe it's aimed at the money requirement - another tax.

I carry. Often times one in each pocket.

How magnanimous of the Texas Legislature to give us back our God given right to bear arms.

I would prefer to see them strike the Prohibitive laws form the books rather than pass a law that allows Constitutional Carry.

Alan

Aye. That's clearer thinking, Alan. We don't need laws to permit us. We need lawmakers and courts that recognize and acknowledge liberty!

The big law pricks will half heartedly support it and help it fail, as usual. There is some purging needed in Austin, same as Washington..

To All,

Fwiw, as he is a retired career LEO, my DH has a problem with ANYBODY/EVERYBODY being able to carry firearms of any sort (especially in the central city) as the criminal underclass, who currently carries unlawfully, will do so with impunity & little fear of carrying for unlawful purposes, as it will be DIFFICULT to prove that anybody was carrying for an otherwise unlawful purpose..

As long as there is a requirement to be able to PROVE that a citizen is reasonably law-abiding & able to hit your target at SD range, we don't have a problem with licensed/law-abiding people carrying firearms ANYWHERE.
(LTC licensees in TX have a BETTER record for safety & obeying public laws than the police do, so we both favor licensed persons being FREE to carry everywhere in TX/the USA, including "licensed premises", courthouses, schools. sporting events & EVERYWHERE else too, where sworn police may carry weapons.).

Fyi, I've personally seen any number of "shooters" on ranges completely miss a 4x8 foot sheet of plywood from 3M, with all the ammo from their "SD handgun". - Persons who cannot shoot better than that make me nervous even thinking of them trying to shoot in a crowded public area like across a café dining room.

"Tex" believes that ILLEGAL ALIENS should be ARRESTED/CONVICTED of a felony if caught possessing any dangerous weapon, as they are obviously NOT a law-abiding person. - Illegal Aliens are all LAW-BREAKERS.

We also favor removing the cost of a handgun license but prefer continuing to require DPS background investigations & qualifying with your handgun to carry deadly weapons anywhere off of your own owned/rented/leased premises.

just my/our opinions, DarlaG

Your worst enemies are going to be those that claim to be in your ranks and then work to back door you on your efforts.

arizona has a ccw permit. good when traveling out of state, good when buyin from a ffl.
other than that, has no purpose since open carry has been here since statehood, and concealed carry without a permit being made legal a number of years ago.
the streets are not running in blood.

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota,Vermont, West Virginia. and Wyoming all have some form of constitutional carry now. Outside the ghettos of places like St. Louis and Phoenix they're some of the safest states out there. None of the "blood in the streets" hysteria has come to pass nor will it. Concealed carry laws have been championed by republicans but in actuality hurt us, one should never have to ask permission to exercise our constitutional rights. If you have to ask permission it's not a right, it's a privilege and can be taken away on a whim. Constitutional carry should be the standard.

As far as what will happen if Texas passes it, the answer is nothing. Nothing will happen just like nothing has happened in every other state where it has passed. People will have just regained a small amount of their God given freedom, that's all.

Arkansas has one, according to the Attorney General, but people keep getting arrested , anyway. When it was passed, they mis-wrote the law. It was intended to be a law where you could openly have a hand gun in the seat of your car. I think all of the ones arrested have been found not guilty, but info is hard to find. Before that the only time that you could carry a pistol, in a holster, out in the open, was if you were Hog hunting or on a journey. A pistol, in a holster was considered a concealed weapon. miles

It doesn’t cost a cop anything to arrest you or write a ticket but it costs you money for a lawyer to point out to a judge that you did nothing illegal. I’ve been down that road more than once regarding the carrying of a handgun.

Concealed carry laws have restricted that abuse of power.

In principle, I’m in favor of Constitutional Carry. In practice, I’m concerned that it will backfire on us by turning the non shooting public against the whole idea of citizens carrying.

The opposition to this greatly blows the whole thing out of proportion.

If this were to pass, it wouldn't have any visible effect on anything.

Just like when we passed concealed carry, the anti-gunners said there would be blood running in the streets. There wasn't.

Same with the licensed open carry measure... (What a joke that is)


Texas is still largely anti-gun. The politicians are not gonna change that anytime soon.

good to see you posting again, Alan.

At my very first CCW license class like 25 years ago (when the law first passed) there was a lady that missed the the closeset target (3 yards?) multiple times. And then had other signficant safety handling issues. She still passed! Having people like that walking around carrying firearms is very disconcerning. But, freedom must reign. On the otherhand, we've all read about cops shooting innocents due to their poor marksmanship skills so maybe it'll make no difference if a few civies are just as bad.

I'm hoping there will be some restrictions on violent felons carrying, etc. and I imagine that would be extended any poor sap accused of domestic violence.