Open Carry Wins Initial Approval in Texas House
After a debate that stretched for more than five hours, the Texas House passed a bill allowing the open carry of handguns in public places 96 to 35. Full Story
The latest guns In Texas news from The Texas Tribune.
After a debate that stretched for more than five hours, the Texas House passed a bill allowing the open carry of handguns in public places 96 to 35. Full Story
After a bit of a Democratic gamesmanship shot down a major gun debate before it started, a measure that would allow gun owners with a concealed handgun license to carry their weapons openly in public is back on the House schedule Friday. Full Story
Voting against legislation isn't the only way to kill it. Some of the most powerful tools available to Texas legislators are found in the dry pages of their parliamentary rulebooks. Full Story
At our 4/16 conversation, state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, and state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond — the chairmen, respectively, of the Senate and House Higher Education committees — handicapped the prospects for passage of campus carry legislation. Full Story
UPDATED: After a technical error caused the Texas House to delay its debate on open carry legislation Tuesday, the legislation is now cleared to go back to the full House floor on Friday. Full Story
UPDATED: Business groups are weighing in on gun legislation, trying to preserve a business owner's rights to ban guns from private property. A House committee took up the question up Tuesday. Full Story
Republican lawmakers backing open carry and guns on campus are heading in the wrong direction for many black and Hispanic Texans who would prefer stricter gun laws, polling shows. It's another disconnect with minorities the GOP might regret. Full Story
A Tribune analysis of gun laws nationwide shows passing "open carry" legislation would make Texas an outlier among states with large urban populations. Many of the nation's biggest cities are located in states that prohibit it. Full Story
The Texas Senate has already passed a bill allowing handguns on college campuses. Now the House is poised to consider its own measure. Full Story
A Texas House committee on Thursday approved a bill from state Rep. Larry Phillips that would allow the open carry of handguns in the state. The legislation now goes to the House floor. A similar bill passed the Senate last week. Full Story
In the Roundup: With lawmakers now more than two months into the legislative session, they are not wasting any time passing bills. The Senate has passed an open carry bill and a campus carry bill, while the House endorsed a border security measure. Full Story
Hoping to prompt quicker turnarounds at struggling schools, Texas lawmakers are considering a controversial policy that would let parents petition the state to make changes at their kids' campuses. Full Story
Following a preliminary Senate vote on Wednesday, Texas is now a step closer to requiring public colleges and universities to allow concealed handguns on campus — a policy opposed by many higher education leaders. Full Story
State Rep. Stuart Spitzer is afraid the federal government can use medical records to identify gun owners. Over the objections of the medical community, he has filed a bill that would prohibit doctors from asking patients whether they own a firearm. Full Story
One day after the Texas Senate voted to loosen state handgun regulations, a House committee Tuesday considered proposals to allow the open carry of handguns with a license and the concealed carry of handguns on college campuses. Full Story
A bill lifting some of the state's restrictions on handguns passed easily on a 20-11 vote after repeated Democratic efforts to amend it were defeated. Full Story
Full video of my 3/12 conversation with Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings. Topics discussed: transportation, education, guns, same-sex marriage and liberty vs. local control. Full Story
Most Texans support carrying guns in public, but only a minority supports carrying them openly, whether the carriers are licensed or not, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Full Story
On the campaign trail, Republican Greg Abbott argued for expanded gun rights — with certain limits. But now that he's been elected governor, the nuance he initially proposed appears to be gone. Full Story
In the Roundup: Lawmakers listen to hours of testimony on two pieces of gun legislation, toll bill snafus affect thousands of Texans, and a Senate bill would better prepare the state to handle infectious disease emergencies. Full Story