Texas poised to allow unlicensed carrying of handguns (AP)

[Passenger]

Texas poised to allow unlicensed carrying of handguns (AP)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas is poised to remove one of its last major gun restrictions after lawmakers approved allowing people to carry handguns without a license, and the background check and training that go with it.

The Republican-dominated Legislature approved the measure Monday, sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott, who has said he will sign it despite the objections of law enforcement groups who say it would endanger the public and police.

Gun control groups also oppose the measure, noting the state’s recent history of mass shootings, including those at an El Paso Walmart, a church in Sutherland Springs, and a high school outside Houston.

Texas already has some of the loosest gun laws in the country and has more than 1.6 million handgun license holders.

(more)

More Republican going off the deep end.

[Pas-de-Calais]

1. WCGW??

Anyone?

[Kaleva]

2. Texas will be joining bloody Vermont and New Hampshire

[RotorHead]

16. Yep...

[RotorHead]

10. Probably the same things...

...as have occurred in the 19 other states that already have such laws...

Almost nothing.

Seriously, 'Constitutional Carry' has not been a problem in the states that already have it. Why would it be a problem in Texas? Cite your evidence please.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_carry

[BannonsLiver]

31. Is it moving?

[Initech]

33. IKR!?

[Norbert]

3. Maybe the former guy was right about building walls.

He just needed help with the location of them.

[struggle4progress]

4. "Already nation's leader in firearms death, Texas planning to widen gap!"

[Straw Man]

13. Umm ...

"Already nation's leader in firearms death, Texas planning to widen gap!"

Texas is a very populous state. If you think raw numbers are the significant data set, what do you make of the fact the California is #2?

In firearms deaths per capita, Texas is #26 in the nation.

[struggle4progress]

22. Texas likes killing people

[Straw Man]

23. By your logic, so does California.

Have you read the post that you're responding to?

[struggle4progress]

26. Since 1976, Texas has executed almost 600 prisoners: nobody else comes close

The state has a culture of killing

[Straw Man]

28. Are we talking about concealed carry or capital punishment?

I'm having trouble keeping track of your goalposts.

As for executions per capita (which is the only relevant figure), Texas comes second to Oklahoma, followed by Delaware in a close third place. Delaware. Do they have a culture of killing too?

[BannonsLiver]

30. Delaware hasn't executed anyone in 9 years so that's unlikely.

And their SC declared the DP unconstitutional in 2016. You should probably go back to your NRA training for better whataboutisms. Maybe they updated the workbook?

[Straw Man]

32. It's cumulative -- 1976 through 2020. Same stats that struggle4 progress was using.

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/stories/state-execution-rates

So the Death Penalty Information Center is an NRA affiliate now? Who knew?

[DFW]

5. They won't be welcome on our premises no matter what Abbott signs.

If you don‘t have a machine-readable ID issued by us, you don‘t get past the receptionist except to be trapped between two security doors that are bulletproof and close enough to each other as to be hazardous to sufferers of claustrophobia.

[SmartVoter22]

6. Humans can choose easy ways to kill kids

Texas may think this is a good idea, and some think it's not a smart thing to do.
But, humans do get to decide what to do, when to do it and how to manage it.
If a decision pertains to guns, they have every right to set things the way they want.

It will mean Texas does think killing children is just fine, and it's not about 'weighing' one political point against another.
It means little kids are going to die, as a direct result of this one single law.

Period.

[multigraincracker]

7. Texas 1966 Charles Whitman

[Straw Man]

8. A few things to consider.

Texas is poised to remove one of its last major gun restrictions after lawmakers approved allowing people to carry handguns without a license, and the background check and training that go with it.

Vermont allows people to carry without a license. It's not exactly a bloodbath up there. Maybe other factors are involved in the death tolls.

Background checks happen at the point of purchasing the handgun. They're not universal, but perhaps they should be.

New York State has no formal training requirement for a handgun permit. Some counties require it, some don't. A very popular course for those that mandate training is the NRA's Home Firearm Safety course.

Texas used to require a live-fire qualification, meaning that their training requirements were more stringent than New York's. Now, in terms of training, they will be roughly comparable.

[Crunchy Frog]

18. Vermont is not densely populated. That probably has something to do with it.

[USALiberal]

9. But you need a drivers license! Why?

[RotorHead]

11. A. Please cite to Driving a Motor Vehicle...

...as a Constitutionally protected Right?

B. May I please see your First, Fourth, Thirteenth and Twenty-Sixth Amendment Permits, proof of background checks, training, testing, and receipts for fees paid to the government?

[USALiberal]

15. Some states require licenses for CC.....

You think that is against the 2nd?

[USALiberal]

21. LOL! Nice try! Your NRA tell you that BS? nt

[StarfishSaver]

36. Funny how you gun types think anything that makes it harder for even one person to get hold of a gun

is a constitutional crisis that cannot be allowed to stand because "a violation of one right is a violation of ALL rights," but ...

Government action that makes it nearly impossible for hundreds of thousands of people to exercise their Constitutionally-protected right to vote is no big deal.

Well, it's not really funny but it is the height of hypocrisy.

[Straw Man]

53. Interesting. So you think you know what I believe.

Funny how you gun types think anything that makes it harder for even one person to get hold of a gun

is a constitutional crisis that cannot be allowed to stand because "a violation of one right is a violation of ALL rights," but ...

Government action that makes it nearly impossible for hundreds of thousands of people to exercise their Constitutionally-protected right to vote is no big deal.

And here I've been thinking all along that voter suppression was a heinous practice that threatens the foundations of our democracy.

Well, it's not really funny but it is the height of hypocrisy.

Well, you see, it's not hypocrisy because I don't hold the particular contradictory belief that you are ascribing to me. It is a ... wait for it ... straw man.

[Crunchy Frog]

19. Oh boy. A brand new gungeoneer.

[USALiberal]

25. Yep! Nt

T

[Scrivener7]

38. Pizza is here!

[Crunchy Frog]

43. Mmm pizza!

I wonder how long it will take him to come back.

[Brother Buzz]

39. Elvis has left the building

[flibbitygiblets]

52. Nothing but an empty pizza box remains.

[RotorHead]

12. Well....

"Texas already has some of the loosest gun laws in the country and has more than 1.6 million handgun license holders."



Quite false, of course. They have desperately hung on to their Jim Crow-era gun laws for decades after other states began rescinding theirs.

www.handgunlaw.us

[RotorHead]

14. 'Constitutional Carry' has not been a problem...

...in the states that already have it. Why would it be a problem in Texas? Cite your evidence please.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_carry

[USALiberal]

17. Lol!

[Kingofalldems]

24. Thread getting gunswarmed.

[Crunchy Frog]

27. Yes. I wish they'd shut down the gungeon.

It basically just attracts RWers with NRA talking points.

[Dial H For Hero]

35. You can always go to Castle Bansalot if you want an echo chamber on the subject.

They could certainly use some fresh blood;they've only had 18 posts in the last 30 days, as compared to 280 in the Gungeon.

[BannonsLiver]

29. +1000

They’re all Trumpers.

[Kingofalldems]

46. Guaranteed.

Didn't happen much during 2017-2020.

[Dial H For Hero]

34. Out of curiosity, at what point is a thread "controlswarmed"?

[Devil Child]

41. +1 n/t

[Scrivener7]

37. Someone sent out the teeny-tiny bat signal to the compensators.

It's always such a pitiful display when they show up.

[Crunchy Frog]

50. It's like having our own little Freak Republic.

[Devil Child]

40. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Kingofalldems]

45. That's about the sound.

Didn't work, BTW..

[Klaralven]

42. New York City has draconian gun laws, but they are enforced only partially

I-Team: Jail Time for Gun Convicts Varies Between Boroughs in NYC

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/gun-arrests-jail-time-vary-by-borough-new-york-city/1825450/

Perps plead down and judges release.

[Scrivener7]

47. Despite having the biggest city in the nation, NY had the second lowest gun deaths per capita

in the country in 2019.

And plenty of people in NY have guns.

Gun laws are nice.

[Klaralven]

48. Gun deaths per capita includes suicides by firearm.

If someone wants to kill themselves with a gun, I don't have a problem. It's their choice.

More relevant is homicide mortality by state, which is a better proxy for my risk due to others having firearms. Even then, its only a rough proxy, since most murders are by related persons or are murders of people working risky jobs, e.g. night convenience store clerk.

NY State does pretty well, at 15th, but other states with very permissive gun laws do better, e.g. Vermont, with no homicides in 2019.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/homicide_mortality/homicide.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/firearm_mortality/firearm.htm

[Devil Child]

49. Good links, thank you.

[Scrivener7]

51. I guess people in states without gun laws just want to kill

themselves a lot more often than those from states with good gun laws then.

Which makes sense.

Again, gun laws are nice.

[Wednesdays]

44. Next: Texas mandates everyone must carry a gun

Nothing wrong with that?