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Central Texans have mixed reactions after Texas House passes 'constitutional carry' bill

Posted at 10:40 PM, Apr 16, 2021
and last updated 2021-04-16 23:40:57-04

Central Texans are having mixed reactions after the Texas House approved a bill that would allow people to carry handguns without a permit in the Lone Star State.

Citizens like Connie Matthews, who supports people wanting to defend themselves, says removing gun licensing is a red flag.

"It would seem like Texas was a more dangerous place to live. It may even deter people from coming here if they thought there were people with guns that were not trained," she said.

Matthews says she's in favor of more regulations on guns.

"We don't want people with criminal records to have guns, or people who have a history of mental illness to have guns. Just basic things like universal background checks would seem to be the first start, and my understanding is that the vast majority of people are in favor of universal background checks, including gun owners," she said.

As the bill moves to the Texas Senate, advocates say it's simply giving Texans their Second Amendment rights.

"There's an old saying that holds true, 'An armed person is a citizen, an unarmed person is a subject,'" said bill advocate Jon Ker.

Ker says he understands people's concerns, but Texas isn't the first state to pass such a bill.

"Several states have already passed it and don't seem to be having a problem with people going wild with guns," he said.

Meanwhile, Johnny Price with Big Gun Handgun License Training says the topic is over-politicized, and while the license and training come at a cost, responsible gunmanship is priceless.

"There's a lot of them out there that are gung-ho we want our Second Amendment, but without some education, some training, you're arming many people with a deadly weapon that can take a person's life in a second," said Price.

Price gun-certifies an average of 1,500 people every year, educating them on things from how to handle a firearm to what locations are considered a felony to have a weapon at.

"So many things out there you have to train before you can ever do, so I mean this is a firearm, so why not have a little bit of training," said Price.

If the bill passes, Texas gun owners will have to be careful when traveling to other states, as it only applies in Texas, even with states that have a similar bill.