Shortly after the House passed Constitutional Carry legislation Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced there weren’t enough votes in the Senate to pass it. Since then he created a new Senate committee just to hear this bill.
On Thursday the Senate Special Committee on Constitutional Issues held its first open hearing. The only bill that it’s directed to take up is House Bill 1927 which would make it legal to openly carry a handgun in public without a license. State Senator Charles Schwertner chairs the new special committee and is the Senate Sponsor of the one bill the committee will take up. He opened up saying “This committee is composed of strong members committed to not only protecting but restoring our country’s founding rights and freedoms.”
The newly formed committee is composed of 5 Republicans and 2 Democrats. One of the Democrats, Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. spoke out against the bill. “It’s dangerous,” said Lucio as the committee gaveled in. “It’s going to lead to people having more guns who don’t know anything about gun safety and how to use it.”
About 150 Texans signed up to speak on the legislation. One of the invited speakers was Officer Ray Hunt of the Houston Police Department. He spoke out against the bill, touting the success of the current license to carry law. “When a police office is shown that card in Texas, we know that person has been vetted 14 different ways,” Hunt testified. “And we know that that person is probably one of the good guys.”
Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith was also invited to testify before the committee. He spoke out in favor of the legislation. “We have a 15 minute response time in the rural part of Smith County,” said Smith. “We can’t help you when you need the help.”