By Paul Lathrop | Contributing Editor
Constitutional Carry is advancing in Texas. Rachel Malone, the Texas representative for Gun Owners of America, appeared on the most recent The Daily Bullet to discuss both good and bad firearms laws in front of the Texas legislature.
“I do have some really exciting news that a lot of folks in Texas and beyond have been waiting for. We’ve got a really good solid Constitutional Carry bill filed this past week, as well as some additional legislation that’s also on that topic.” Malone said, “We’ve got legislation both in the House and in the Senate, which is meaningful.”
Malone brought up HB-1238 in the Texas House. That bill would repeal the general ban on carrying a handgun and would state that If you can legally possess a handgun under State and Federal Law, you can carry it openly or concealed without a license in the same places and in the same way that a licensed holder can currently carry.
She said, “It removes the jumping through the hoop, which is what I define constitutional carry as. You don’t need a permit to carry. If you own it, you should be able to carry without a permit, open or concealed, your choice, and that’s exactly what it does.”
Lone Star State gun owners have been working on getting a bill like this one introduced for some time. Malone explained that no bills in Texas have yet been assigned to committees, although she expects that to happen in the next week or two.
Malone then turned to other firearms legislation pending in Texas. “I think it’s important to be aware that there is good legislation here in Texas, and fighting for our gun rights doesn’t mean just stopping gun control. We have to move forward with freedom.”
“There is a Senate Resolution, called SJR-24 by Senator Bob Hall, that proposes a Constitutional Amendment to say that the Legislature may not require a permit for citizens to carry a handgun. In effect, it would nullify the license law.”
She then brought up three different bills that would turn Texas into a Second Amendment sanctuary state. A “Made in Texas” act that would declare that all firearms manufactured in Texas with Texas parts and sold intending to remain in Texas would not be subject to Federal regulations. She also mentioned an “Anti Red Flag law that would mandate that Texas would not participate in a Federal Red Flag Law should it come to pass, and it would also prevent local Texas cities and other entities from implementing their own Red Flag laws.
“One other bill that I am super excited about that we will be prioritizing is a Domestic Violence Victim Protection Act.” Malone explained that the bill would provide that victims of domestic violence that had a protective order would be able to carry a firearm without a license requirement including in gun-free zones, except for federally mandated gun-free zones.
More information can be found about these bills and others at www.gunowners.com/Texas.
