Texas Open Carry inches forward

[csmsss]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/7541228.html

Campus carry may have died, but it appears the bill striking the "concealed" provision from Texas carry laws may still be alive, as it was passed out of committee to the full House. No guarantee this will actually be brought forward for a vote, of course, but at least the bill made it out of committee. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I for one would enormously appreciate the option of open carry.

 

[Will Beararms]

Yeah it would create a dangerous situation in larger Texas Cities-----dangerous for the criminals. When I lived in Louisiana in the early 1990's, I saw open carry---especially with Harley riders.

 

[CowTowner]

HB 681 has been set on the calendar for Monday May 2nd. This is one of the parking lot bills.
This is one more of those we need to get passed along with open carry.

 

[Drizzt]

Should've asked this somewhere else... sorry.

 

[Talin342]

True "open" carry

Just a quick opinion on the posting.

I live in Texas and am a proud Texan, born and raised. I live in a fairly rural area, but I work in Plano and commute daily for work. I don't have my CHL, but I hope to get one soon.

While I LIKE the idea of the removing "concealed" from the CHL I don't consider it true "Open Carry". I consider open carry more about an inherent right rather than an addendum to a license. However, it is better than nothing.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Since this is L and CR, a discussion of the pros and cons of OC on a tactical or action basis is inappropriate.

There are other OC threads in the forum for that - if you look.

Whether we get any progun bills through in TX is a nail biter. I'm am the eternal pessimist with the legislature.

 

[Eghad]

After reading Bob Price's blog dated 1 May 2011 HB 2576 has been allowed out of committee to the House floor for a vote by the Texas House of Represenatives.

http://texasgopvote.com/2011-legisl...pen-carry-handgun-bill-good-idea-texas-002806

http://texasgopvote.com/2011-legisl...pen-carry-handgun-bill-good-idea-texas-002806

Does not look like a slam dunk though.

 

[27Veer]

I've often why the wide open Western state of Texas abolished Open Carry. Especially since New Mexico and AZ have not had problems with it.

 

[Eghad]

here is a map at opencarry.org

http://opencarry.org/opencarry.html

if you look at the map there are only about 9 states that do not have some form of open carry....

We have all these states and we never hear any violence from open carry

If we want open carry for everybody here in Texas its going to have to be a grass roots movement that drags those reluctant and those not supporting it along for the ride.

Need to figure out who the fence sitters and leaners are in the Legislature and make it uncomfortable for them to not support it. Not worry about those who are going to oppose it no matter what.

 

[JohnKSa]

I've often why the wide open Western state of Texas abolished Open Carry.

Handgun carry in TX, open or concealed, was abolished right after the civil war to prevent freedmen from carrying handguns. The law was almost certainly selectively enforced in the beginning, but as time passed that became impossible and it began being enforced across the board.

Here's a similar law in Florida where a person with firsthand knowledge admitted the purpose of the law.

From The Racist Roots of Gun Control

...Florida Supreme Court Justice Buford's concurring opinion in Watson v. Stone (1941), in which a conviction for carrying a handgun without a permit was overturned, because the handgun was in the glove compartment of a car:

I know something of the history of this legislation. The original Act of 1893 was passed when there was a great influx of negro laborers in this State drawn here for the purpose of working in turpentine and lumber camps. The same condition existed when the Act was amended in 1901 and the Act was passed for the purpose of disarming the negro laborers and to thereby reduce the unlawful homicides that were prevalent in turpentine and saw-mill camps and to give the white citizens in sparsely settled areas a better feeling of security. The statute was never intended to be applied to the white population and in practice has never been so applied. ​

 

[Eghad]

I read a book called Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black and White. All the stuff they never taught you in history class about the laws that were passed that kept freedmen from running for elected office and to deny them rights. So I can understand the law John is talking about.