The Texas legislature has approved two important pro gun bills. Open carry will soon be a reality. Although you will still need a CHL, it’s a major step in the right direction.
Second, is the idiotic Defense To Prosecution statute in Texas regarding the possession of NFA items. The governor signed the legislation which was crafted by Todd Rathner of the NFAFA (based in Tucson, AZ) (http://www.nfafa.org/index.cfm) and his lobbying firm has helped pass several NFA friendly bills around the country to include Montana and Minnesota. Please consider supporting his group.
Open Carry is to gun rights what Trannys are to the queer movement. I’d rather keep them in the closet until we get things like national reciprocity CCW and Shall Certify for NFA items.
Open carry with a CHL- I don’t get it. Is it pushed by the OWB-only holster companies.
OC has its perks. In public, not for me. Don’t want the attention and comprimised security. On my land or hunting, OC all day. (Which was already legal…)
I don’t get OC in general population areas neither. CO (minus Denver County) is OC, and occasionally I’ll see a guy at some shopping place showing off some uber expensive sidearm on their side, drawing all sorts of unwanted attention. Whatever. Their right I guess. For the record I do OC when out in the field or out on the front range.
Not having to worry about whetherr you are revealing a pistol during your normal activities is important. Not all of us have office jobs, or jobs where it’s fairly easy to conceal a pistols. Some of us are carpenters, plumbers, truck drivers, and heavy equipment operators. Try doing a physical, dirty, job with a CCW without revealing it and you will go insane. If you are in fear of prosecution because some goody two shoes decides to turn you in for revealing your pistol, you just stop carrying when you really want to. Frankly, I don’t understand why Texas isn’t a Constitutional Carry state.
Here’s what some of you are apparently missing. Handguns may not be displayed openly in Texas except on private property. That means in your car, hiking, etc… So that is now going away.
Under certain conditions I can see where it’s beneficial or makes sense. But even then there are crafty ways to conceal carry. Not suggesting lawful citizens should not be armed, just be smart about it.
No, I think its being pushed by people who believe in the Constitution and the part that stated “shall not be infringed” Granted it s small step towards that shall not be infringed part, but it is none the less a step. WRT national reciprocity, the TX legislature has no impact on that, so they focused on what they needed to local issues. I too would like to have seen a shall sign / certify bill or amendment, but given the choice of expanding CHL holders rights (hundreds of thousands of folks in TX) and spending political capital on the tens of thousand NFA owners in TX, I think they prioritized appropriately. Maybe next session we can have the NFA shall cert bill, especially ATF messes with the Trust route and people can show a need for legislative action.
So a law that offers folks more choice in how they carry, offers them better protection from politically motivated LEO and removes another infringement on a Constitutionally guaranteed right isn’t impactful? How’s that? Don’t get me wrong, I am not going to suggest that Texans strap on their wild west rigs and start open carrying everywhere they go. I wouldn’t give a hoot if they did though. Nor am I going to OC myself that much or at all. I do OC inside my home, simply cause its far more comfortable that IWB or AIWB, so now I can run to the mailbox without having to button up and make sure everything is covered. OC might just become comfortable concealed carry for a lot of folks.
We have pistol OC (w/permit) in MN and rarely see it. But as I prefer OWB with a loose shirt concealing, it’s a comfort not being paranoid about inadvertently showing.
Big thanks to NFAFA and state groups: GOCRA & MnGOPAC for leading the fight in this blue dominated state. “Crazy eyes” Dayton vowed to veto supressors, but caved when enough Dems joined to veto proof the bill.
Agree completely. No worrying about getting arrested or cops showing up for MWAG because you were reaching for an item on the top shelf at the grocery store and a concerned fellow shopper happened to see your firearm is a huge benefit. Wait…are handguns allowed in grocery stores in Texas?
I agree open carry is stupid and serves only to upset the 50% of the country that is afraid of firearms. As political statements go, open carry is counterproductive.
Thank You for the Information Sir !
I agree it is a step in the right direction and perhaps if even a small step toward regaining the original intent, clearly we are making progress.
Again, Thank You.
I know a lot of conservative, God-fearing, republicans that are afraid of guns. Conversely, in this state it was the outstate Democrats that beat back, twice, Bloomberg’s best efforts.
As I understand the demographics, you’re fighting a losing battle. Texas appears to be going the way of Colorado.
Two bills have passed in TX, but Campus Carry is still stalled in the House Calendars committee.
If you’re a Texan, contact your reps in the House today and let’s get this passed!