[ED: As of midnight, Texas became the 21st constitutional carry state in the nation. A full 25% of the US population now lives in states that don’t require a permission slip in order to carry a handgun.]
From Gun Owners of America . . .
Today, Texas takes a giant step forward to legalize the carry of handguns by honest citizens and to repeal remnants of racism. Today, HB 1927 goes into effect. This bill is commonly known as Constitutional Carry.
Beginning today, most legal gun owners aged 21+ will be able to carry a handgun, openly in a holster or concealed, in most places where LTC holders could already carry — without having to ask the government for permission.
This policy represents the largest win for gun rights in the history of Texas. It’s been a long time coming.
In 1869, the state of Texas changed the Constitution to allow the legislature to regulate gun carry. Only two years later, the Texas Legislature banned Texans from carrying handguns outside of their own property.
This law had a terrible hidden purpose: to keep the newly-freed slaves from being able to carry guns — during a time when they most needed to be able to defend themselves.
History shows that many of the southern states adopted similar gun ban laws but implemented them in a horribly racist manner. This led to a general elitist mindset around gun carry — the same mindset that has kept Texas from repealing the permit requirement for the past decade.
In passing HB 1927, the Texas Legislature repealed most of the racist 1871 ban on carrying firearms and began to tear down the elitist permit requirements that often kept the most vulnerable from being able to defend themselves.
We know that firearms are used far more often to save innocent lives than to commit crimes. Constitutional Carry reduces barriers to carrying firearms and gives more Texans a fighting chance at saving their own lives.
GOA Texas worked harder than ever during the last session to stand up for our right to keep and bear arms. Because of your energy and dedication, we were successful. (See the full story here.)
Today, we celebrate the power of the grassroots to restore our rights. Thank you for making this victory possible.
Resources on HB 1927 (Constitutional Carry)
GOA Texas handout: Constitutional Carry FAQ
Two-page handout with bullet points on the basics of what HB 1927 says
US Law Shield Guide to Constitutional Carry
Comprehensive free downloadable guide to the new Texas laws and how they impact gun owners
Celebrating our Victory
Texas Scorecard Interview – 8/27/21
A ten-minute, fast-paced and personal re-telling of our work for Constitutional Carry over the past ten years with a peek into some back-room drama during session, with host Brandon Waltens and GOA’s Rachel Malone.
“It would take a book to tell the story . . . “ A deep dive into the legal and practical implications of passing Constitutional Carry in Texas with host Antonia Okafor and Rachel Malone of GOA, and Emily Walker, a program attorney with U.S. Law Shield.
GOA Texas PDF Presentation – 8/29/21
A presentation from Rachel Malone about what we won for gun rights during the past legislative session, how GOA Texas worked to achieve these victories, and how to address common concerns.
Flyover Conservatives Interview – 8/17/21
A national-oriented conversation with Rachel Malone and hosts David & Stacy Whited on the power of the grassroots in passing Constitutional Carry, why this legislation matters, and how gun owners can be active and successful at making change happen.
Fox 7 News Interview with Felisha Bull – 8/26/21
GOA Texas Deputy Director sits down with Fox 7 Austin to discuss the implementation of Constitutional Carry in Texas and what to expect on September 1st.
For liberty,
Rachel Malone
GOA Texas Director
Felisha Bull
GOA Texas Deputy Director
Between permitless carry, ghost guns, coronapalooza and rampaging insurrectionists it’s a wonder any survivors at all are left to roam the American wasteland in search of food or water that hasn’t been tainted by the climate crisis.
Just a note , it’s permit-less carry, not Constitutional carry. Like every other state, Constitutional carry doesn’t really exist, because if it did, there would be no restrictions on who, when, and where you could carry in any state. Texas law HB 1927 has many restriction, just like other states. Carry on.
Compared to CA it looks pretty damn good. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough.
We don’t do gray areas in Texas. You either have it or you don’t. Texas doesn’t have Constitutional Carry. Texas can care less about CA and there really is a comparison anyway.
GRA……….Hopefully we can clean up the rest of the restrictions during the next session. They should have done a complete constitutional carry with no restrictions. The usual idiots were up there crying about the gunfights at high noon and parking lot shootouts etc. The statistics will be on our side next time. What we have now is much better than we had before but is not as much as we hoped for, never give up.
Ditto ILLinoyed. The CC & FOID site is broken. Pathetic,ineptly run & evil Dim-run.
You’re 100% correct. And the way it’s been going Texas will never see Constitutional Carry until there’s total anarchy.
“Texas law HB 1927 has many restriction, just like other states.”
LawShield highlighted those state differences (different from the link in the OP):
“Is It Really “Constitutional Carry?”
“Constitutional.” What words or phrases immediately come to mind when you hear that word? Foundation, solid, powerful, liberty… “shall not be infringed”?
“Constitutional carry” should be the same, right? The recognition that the United States Constitution provides a solid, powerful guarantee of our right to carry a firearm, and the individual states cannot infringe upon this foundational liberty? Most gun owners would be shocked to learn that the laws passed in the recent wave of states enacting “constitutional carry” bear little to no resemblance to these notions.
Instead, the laws that were passed are basically the creation or rewording of legal exceptions to criminal statutes. On top of that, these exceptions typically contain detailed, and often convoluted, legal restrictions as to who, how, and where firearms can be carried. Here are some examples:
In Tennessee, you cannot constitutional carry in a public park, but permit holders are free to do so.
In Missouri, license holders who carry in an establishment that sells liquor cannot be charged criminally for a first-time offense, while constitutional carriers can face a Class B misdemeanor.
In Texas, license holders who inadvertently take their guns to airport security are permitted to return the firearms to their parked car, while constitutional carriers can face immediate arrest.
The federal Gun-Free School Zones Act provides an explicit exception for permit holders, but not for constitutional carriers.
Do you recognize the common denominator here? In each of these circumstances, the constitutional carrier has fewer rights than the license holder.
Our analysis of this growing trend leads us to two main conclusions. First, there are countless tangible benefits to obtaining and maintaining a carry permit in your state. Second, these laws can be incredibly confusing and complicated. Just look at all of the nuances in Texas alone. “
Before July 1st, 2021, ”carrying a firearm without a permit in Wyoming was only afforded to residents of the state. However, Wyoming House Bill 116 provides that non-residents in Wyoming may also carry a firearm without first obtaining a permit.”
“Wyoming House Bill 116 provides that non-residents in Wyoming may also carry a firearm without first obtaining a permit.”
Good. Not sure how that relates to the quoted section from LawShield, but good.
The more Texans that take their personal safety and security seriously, the better.
Be smart about it though. Many I’m sure will want to make a statement today but there is a lot to be said for concealed carry. I strongly recommend carrying something you have fired and practiced enough with to actually hit what your aiming at. Know yourself and your gun. Understand what it can do and what it can’t. I recommend carrying an extra magazine, using hollow points, and always keeping an eye on what’s going on around you.
Solid advise. As a Texas LTC holder, I will retain my LTC, as it provides more benefits than HB 1927. That said, I hope everyone who wishes to take advantage of HB 1927 do so with safety in mind, and follow restrictions like 30.06, 30.07 as Texas is a property rights state, the owner has final say if you can access his property. It’s your right not to patronize also. I don’t go were my gun isn’t welcome, as I assume I am not either.
Now the same can be said for Texas. Those that are offended by the 2A can find some other state to live in. Perhaps this can be the “disinfectant” that will force the parasites who hate liberty, to move to a blue state. And get away from all that “conservativism” that they hate so much.
Congratulations Texas!!
“Kentucky Gov Matt Bevin: Those Offended By Second Amendment Rights Can Live Elsewhere”
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/kentucky-gov-matt-bevin-those-offended-by-second-amendment-rights-can-live-elsewhere/
The charts really should combine “May-Issue” with “No-Issue” since the two are essentially the same for the average citizen.
Hawaii is essentially no-issue.
I thought Delaware was shall-issue, so I looked it up on handgunlaw.us.
Applicants have to publish their applications in a local newspaper. “Newspaper selection must have a circulation of at least 35% of the population in your zip code.” So, in other words, unless you’re living in the 1940s (or you have a lot of neighbors who need to line hamster or bird cages), you’re not getting a permit.
Yeah that part especially for northern Delaware (Wilmington area) essentially put a “burglarize my house there is valuable stuff here” sign on their lawn the moment it was in the papers. Not sure how often it was an issue but only ever knew one person with a Delaware permit and he had few good things to say about the process. Not even that bad up here there is just whether the sheriff is willing to release the records to the press like in the City.
Let me preface this by saying I hate the policy on 2A grounds and because I believe strongly in keeping private matters private, most especially for the sake of keeping controversy out of the workplace (and schools, etc.).
That said, while the notification tells the public you have an item or two worth a few hundred dollars, it also puts people on notice that you’re willing to defend yourself. I wonder if there have been any studies of the statistics, one way or the other.
None that I am aware of but we have seen as many if not more home invasions during the quarantine work from home season with people home and record gun buying in the news. At least for NY I would say it would be a mix of no change with a possibility of some gang targeting for new guns if it is close enough to be convenient.
Agree completely. It is sometimes hard to listen to the arguments over constitutional vs permitless carry when those of us in may issue states we still waiting for the Supreme Court to recognize our basic right of self defense outside the home.
25% of the population is good but it’s not nearly enough. All the “shall issue” States need to step up and isolate the “may issue” States from the rest of the country. That would have some serious national political impact.
Just a quick question. Isn’t there a Supreme Court decision that says any law that goes against the constitution is void and shall be ignored?
“Isn’t there a Supreme Court decision that says any law that goes against the constitution is void and shall be ignored?”
Even if, can’t think of any avoidance of arrest and trial such a decision prevents. Nor, any record of such a subsequent case where a defendant prevailed at trail.
The first rule of interpreting/understanding any law, is…”It depends.”
For instance, what is the universally accepted, immutable, unalienable definition of “goes against the constituiton”?
So Texas has been big on talk and attitude for about 150 years but it is only today that the state is finally recognizing the right of the people to keep and bear arms as almost originally intended.
The People have the natural right and the Constitutionally enumerated right to bear arms on their person. The type of action, the capacity of ammunition, none of that matters. In fact the citizens have a stronger right to carry the most modern and up to date military issued firearms than they do weapons intended for hunting or target shooting.
The Second Amendment is not about hunting or plinking.
The year is not 1791. The correct year is 2021. Get use to it. If you want to change things then get involved.
And thank you to those people who are involved working to get our rights back. One victory at a time.
Constitutional carry states should have reciprocity, no license to carry from one state to the other. Thatd be nicer.
But first they have to have Constitutional Carry. The loser’s trophy of “permitless carry” doesn’t qualify.
Many do. Only a couple restrict it to their residents only. You can come to MS for example and carry concealed or open without any permit from your home state.
“Constitutional carry states should have reciprocity…”
Or honor the carry permit laws of other states. Iowa does, and has permitless carry. Please, however, don’t move here unless you can leave all of your progressive, leftist dreamings where you come from…
“Constitutional Carry. The loser’s trophy of “permitless carry” ”
There’s always gonna be someone ripping the mask off the truth.
Think I will be plagiarizing.
Quit your bitching. Nothing will satisfy any of you other than anarchy? You could be the weak that’s preyed upon. If you are not in Texas and hate the State, stay out. If you are in Texas and hate it so much, get out.
Right-to-carry gif is one of the most comforting animations on the internet.
@SAFEupstateFML
“….we have seen as many if not more home invasions during the quarantine work from home season with people home and record gun buying in the news.”
For a deterrent to be effective, the enemy/attacker must know the deterrent exists. This concept relies on the idea that the enemy is smart enough to read and heed. Given the devolution of society/culture, how many of the enemy can actually read, and how many would know what to do with a newspaper?
BTW, street thugs and home invaders have already decided the public is not smart enough to protect themselves.
I want to be able to refute this but sadly don’t have much to work with. For the majority of people involved in your theory you are correct and the outliers who would read and assess would make their decisions based on what they discern to be risk/reward and be a small dataset with multiple conflicting variables. Well done on presenting an alternative viewpoint with soul crushing despair.
“Well done on presenting an alternative viewpoint with soul crushing despair.”
Happy to be here, grateful for the opportunity, proud to serve.
Comments are closed.