There’s a new wrinkle in the story of constitutional carry in the Texas Senate.
Seemingly overnight, the Texas Senate created a new committee called the Senate Special Committee on Constitutional Issues. Then on Friday morning, they referred House Bill 1927, the constitutional carry bill that passed the House last week, to the committee.
The bill would largely remove the requirement for law-abiding citizens to hold a permit.
This comes a day after State Sen. Charles Schwertner (R–Georgetown) filed a new bill on the subject that was almost immediately referred to the Senate Administration Committee, chaired by Schwertner himself. Notably, the bill was filed more than a month after the bill filing deadline of March 12.
Even more perplexing is the fact that the Senate has taken no action on a constitutional carry bill by State Sen. Drew Springer that has been sitting in the Senate State Affairs Committee since March 11.
The newly created committee is comprised of State Sens. Schwertner, Brian Birdwell (R–Granbury), Dawn Buckingham (R–Lakeway), Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe), Bob Hall (R–Edgewood), Chuy Hinojosa (D–McAllen), and Eddie Lucio (D–San Benito).
Notably, Sens. Buckingham, Hall, and Creighton have publicly come out in support of constitutional carry and are members of the new committee.
Constitutional carry is one of the legislative priorities of the Republican Party of Texas.
Earlier this week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said he did not believe the bill had the votes to pass the Senate.
With fewer than 40 days left in the 87th Legislative Session and with impending self-imposed deadlines on how and when the Legislature can take up certain bills, the prospects are becoming more and more obscured.
