2 Second Amend. victories in Texas

By the end of the current biennial session of the Texas legislature, licensed open carry and licensed carry in additional areas of college campuses passed both houses. Gov. Abbot is expected to sign both bills.  The usual anti-gun paranoia, misinformation, distortion and propaganda characterized the Democrats opposition to both bills.  Numerous procedural and political tactics were used to try to stop the bills.  However, unlike legislative session prior to this one, opponents failed to stop the bills. It is become clear in Texas and other states that the Democratic Party is a strong, consistent threat to Second Amendment rights.  Further, the debate was confused by the arguments of those who mistakenly argue that Second Amendment rights are absolute.  This, of course, mirrors the national situation.  The following quotes are from the left-leaning, anti-gun rights New York Times.  Try not to get turned off by the whiney tone and simple-mindedness of their analysis.

"Texas will be one of eight states to allow the carrying of concealed weapons on public college campuses, joining Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Nineteen others ban concealed weapons on campus, including California, Florida and New York, and 23 others, including Alabama and Arizona, leave the decision to the colleges or state board of regents.

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The bill that passed in Texas was something of a compromise that allows private universities to opt out and public ones to designate parts of their campuses as gun-free zones." 

 

Note that contrary to the fearful predictions of blood baths, none of the 7 states which allowed campus carry, saw an increase in campus gun crime.

 

Opposition by many professors and university administrators was strong.   This was not surprising given their often authoritarian approach to freedom of speech and religion on campus.  See the FIRE website for more on this topic.

 

Bottom line, Texas will see strong attacks on these new laws from Democrats and many university faculty and leaders. in it's next biennial legislative session.  Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

licensed concealed carry on campuses take effect in August 2016 at universities and August 2017 at community colleges.