For the first time in history, “constitutional carry” legislation to remove the requirement of individuals to hold a gun permit from the state will be voted on in the Texas House.

Despite being a perennial priority of the Republican Party of Texas, the bill has not received much traction in the Texas Legislature in recent sessions. With new leadership in the House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety in Chair James White (R–Hillister), various versions of constitutional carry were given hearings.

Now, House Bill 1927 by State Rep. Matt Schaefer (R–Tyler) has been placed on Thursday’s major state calendar for the House, putting it at the front of the line for consideration.

The placement comes despite protests from a small contingent of license to carry instructors on Tuesday, who argued the move would put Texans at risk.

Wallace Dunn, president of the Texas Handgun Association, disagreed.

“As an LTC instructor and president of the Texas Handgun Association, I strongly support firearms training. But training should not be a condition to exercising a constitutional right. I am embarrassed that twenty other states have passed constitutional carry and we have not,” said Dunn, adding that Texas should lead on the issue.

Gun Owners of America agreed, saying while they encourage gun owners to receive training, “We would hate for any Texas gun owners to give their hard-earned money to the tiny fraction of instructors who actively fight against their core values. We urge our members to seek training from those who advocate in favor of our liberties and support constitutional carry.”

With 83 Republicans and 67 Democrats in the House, it remains to be seen whether the measure will have enough support to pass the chamber.

In the Senate, similar legislation by State Sen. Drew Springer (R–Muenster) has not received a committee hearing.

Brandon Waltens

Brandon serves as the Senior Editor for Texas Scorecard. After managing successful campaigns for top conservative legislators and serving as a Chief of Staff in the Texas Capitol, Brandon moved outside the dome in order to shine a spotlight on conservative victories and establishment corruption in Austin. @bwaltens

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