Texas Senate Voted To Advance Bill To Allow People Carry Handguns Without License

The Texas Senate voted for a bill that would allow individuals to carry pistols in the state without a license which would make the state to be the largest in the nation to allow permitless carry.

There are currently twenty other states that allows some type of permitless carry.

The law was approved on Wednesday evening by a vote of 18 to 13. The bill would allow for individuals 21 and over who are able to legally get a firearm but also carry it in public without the license requiring a permit, security course and background check.

The bill now goes to the House which approved similar laws earlier this year, but will not recognize any changes the Senate made to the bill before it makes its way to the office of Greg Abbott (R).

The bill’s success in the Senate is a huge win for gun rights advocates and Republicans, who had already seen permitless carry bills go nowhere in the legislature.

“HB 1927 would recognize the United States Constitution as our permit to carry and allow all law-abiding adults, aged 21 years or older, to carry a handgun for the protection of themselves or their families, in public places, in a holster, without the requirement of a state-issued license,” said Sen. Charles Schwertner who sponsored the bill.

“People who are prohibited from possessing a handgun will still be prohibited from possessing a handgun under this bill. Nothing in this bill regarding possession is changed.” he added.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) praised the bill’s approval, calling it proof of Texas’ deep support for the Second Amendment.

“I am proud that the Texas Senate passed House Bill 1927 today, the Constitutional Carry bill, which affirms every Texan’s right to self-defense and our state’s strong support for our Second Amendment right to bear arms. In the Lone Star State, the Constitution is our permit to carry,” he said in a statement. “We have moved quickly on this legislation and I want to thank all those involved who helped gather the votes needed to pass this historic bill.”

Democrats opposed the bill, claiming that it would cause offenders to fall between the cracks and possess weapons without having to go through the licensing process. Last year, the Department of Public Safety rejected 2,422 license to carry applications, the bulk of whom were due to prior felony records.