Attribute to L. Neil Smith’s The Libertarian Enterprise

A quick review of the evolution of Constitutional Carry in Texas:

Before 1991 the open or concealed carry of handguns was essentially banned in Texas unless travelling back and forth from store, carrying in a sport where pistol was appropriate, or carrying while travelling more than a day from home.

A. Killeen Luby Massacre in 1991 re-opens gun control debate in Texas. When it goes to legislature half or witnesses argue for stricter gun laws, the other half for loosening laws to adopted licensed concealed carry. Polls indicate people feel the same 50-50 split

B. Kay Bailey Hutchinson vetoes concealed carry license bill after it is passed by legislature.

C. George W. Bush signs concealed carry license bill in 1995

D. In 2007 Texas passes bill explicitly allowing people to carry handgun in car without license, assuming one is not otherwise committing a crime. Permission to carry in one’s vehicle had been implied in at least two earlier acts, but police and deputies kept arresting people for carrying in vehicles while not committing other crimes.

E. In 2011 sarcastic liberals propose legalizing switchblades and bill passes and is signed. Turns out pro-gun legislators also support knife rights.

F. In 2015 carry on campus with a CCW approved, effective January 2016.

G. Texas passes open carry with a license in 2017. People demonstrating for this law often paraded with long guns to point out absurdity of law banning open carry of pistols when it was legal to carry long guns openly. Open carry is still banned on campus.

H. Also in 2017, Texas gets rid of all knife restrictions, except ballistic knives as they are banned under Federal law. Swords, spears, and machetes included, but not tomahawks as they are legally clubs in Texas.

I. Texas legalizes clubs, knuckles (as in brass knuckles), saps, etc. and loosens up gun laws in May of 2019, effective 1 September, 2019. This exposes state to criticism after El Paso and Midland-Odessa mass shootings. However, legislative session was over and nothing could have been done to stop acts passed in May from taking effect. (Nor should anything have been done.)

J. Texas passes and adopts Constitutional carry in 2021.

Texas has gone from a state that, contrary to its reputation, strictly regulated, at least on paper, personal weapons to one with almost no restrictions other than certain locations and age restrictions and Federal Law,. At each step it was predicted that we would revert to a "Wild West" shoot outs around every corner society. So far it has not happened, unless the news has been suppressed.^*

Apparently, freedom works, Who knew?

 

^* Author has glossed over lowering of licensing fees, reduction of minimum caliber for shooting part of test, and various efforts to make laws work better.