WASHINGTON. In Texas it will no longer be necessary to carry a gun license to shoot in public with a gun. This was decided by the state Senate, with a Republican majority, putting an end to the restrictions that until now provided, for those who wished to carry their weapon, a particular permit, the necessary training and checks on the applicant’s background. The law, which according to its supporters will allow Texans to better defend themselves in public places, has been sent to Governor Greg Abbott, who has already announced the signing.
Texas already has one of the most permissive laws in the US in terms of weapons, allowing for example to be able to carry a rifle in public without the need for special permits. The new law will allow anyone over the age of 21 to carry their weapon with them, except in cases of past convictions or bans imposed by a judge. However, the owners of public premises will be able to deny entry to armed customers and certain federal controls, the so-called “background checks”, will remain in force for the purchase of certain types of weapons.
For opponents of the law, the new rules risk increasing violent crimes related to the use of weapons. In particular, the massacres of recent years are cited, such as those of August 2019 in which 30 people died, the shooting in a school in 2018 that left 10 victims and that of 2017 in a church that left 27 people lifeless. For supporters of the law, it is instead a “simple restoration of the constitutional law of Texans enshrined in the Second Amendment,” as explained by Republican Senator Charles Schwertner, interviewed by the Texas Tribune.