Texas Constitutional Carry Bill Passes House, 84-56

Texas Capitol image from wikipedia, cropped and scaled by Dean Weingarten

On Thursday, 15 April, 2021, the Texas House passed CSHB1927, one of the bills otherwise known as Constitutional Carry, 84-54. Democrat opposition to the bill was fierce, in spite of 19 other states having passed similar legislation without adverse effects. 

Texans are already able to carry rifles and shotguns around the state without any permit. 

A Texas state constitutional amendment passed after the Civil War, during Reconstruction, was how handgun carry was allowed to be infringed in Texas.  The Texas Amendment was aimed against minorities and freed slaves.

Restoring Constitutional Carry for handguns in Texas has been a slow, incremental process. 

Legally armed Texas have shown themselves to be extremely law abiding. They have been more law abiding than police in Texas.  Gradually, slowly, incrementally, more and more restrictions on the carry of loaded handguns have been removed. There have not been any adverse effects.  

Because Texans already have the ability to carry pistols in their vehicles without a permit; and rifles and shotguns most places without a permit; the practical effect of the bill on crime will be very little.  

The symbolic and legal effect of restoring Constitutional rights, and limits on government power, will be significant.

Constitutional Carry has been pushed by Second Amendment advocates in Texas for years. It is a prominent part of the Texas Republican Party Platform. It is very popular with conservative Texans. It has been repeatedly stymied by the Democrats and Republican leadership in the Texas Legislature. The Texas Legislature only meets for a brief period every two years. Thus, there is only a small time frame where legislation can be passed. 

Second Amendment supporters have fought against the Republican leadership by using the primary to vote out those who willfully side with the Democrats against the Republican platform. 

Previous Republican Speaker of the House, Dennis Bonnen, used underhanded tactics to kill Constitutional Carry in 2019. A series of related scandals resulted in Bonnen not seeking re-election in 2020.

In 2021, those efforts, along with the increased threat against Second Amendment rights by the Biden administration, has resulted in a window of opportunity to pass Constitutional Carry. From click2houston.com: 

The 84-56 vote came after several hours of some of the most emotionally charged debate yet this legislative session, with Democrats pleading to their colleagues to reconsider their position on the legislation.

The Republican who replaced Dennis Bonnen in District 25, Cody Vasut, voted for Constitutional Carry, as expected.

The debate about Constitutional Carry has become a classic Conservative v. Progressive/Leftist issue. Facts, the Constitution, and the rule of law on the conservative side against emotional claims, worship of government power, and distrust of the people from the Progressive/Leftists.

Democrats typically attempt to link mass murder to unrelated issues such as Constitutional Carry. But Constitutional Carry makes effective defenses against mass murder easier and more likely. It does not make mass murder any easier.

Numerous private citizens have stopped mass public murder. 

The leftist argument boils down to:

 Guns are bad, you cannot trust anyone but the government 

Many Republicans worship government power and distrust the people. 

This correspondent has witnessed many legislative sessions in Texas and other states where Republican leaders give lip service to Constitutional rights and limited government; then use their power in the legislative process to kill popular and sensible bills in committee or by various procedural tricks. That is what happened to Constitutional Carry in Texas in the past. 

Constitutional Carry has passed the Texas House. It is vulnerable to many attacks using procedure in the Senate. The person with the most influence to kill the bill or pass it in the Senate is Republican Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. He has been ambivalent about Constitutional Carry in the past. He has not championed it. 

On 15 April, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued a statement praising the passage of SB 18, which insures Texans Second Amendment rights are protected during emergencies.  

Lt. Gov. Patrick has not issued a statement about Constitutional Carry.

He has an opportunity to become a conservative hero this session by passing Constitutional Carry in the Senate. He needs to make sure the bill is voted on by the Senate, that it is not killed by procedure.

If it is killed in the Senate, he will be blamed. 

If it is voted on, it will almost certainly pass. It is popular, reasonable, and good politics. 

If it doesn’t pass, he can say he tried, and gave it a good shot.

If it passes the Senate, it seems likely Governor Abbot will sign it. 

If Abbot vetoes a Constitutional Carry bill in the face of a Biden administration, any presidential aspirations of Abbot will be finished. 

Conservative voters are alert, committed, and concerned about the threat posed by the Biden regime.

In 2014, Governor Abbot said he would be willing to sign a Constitutional Carry bill.

If Governor Abbot signs a Constitutional Carry bill, his conservative, Trumpian, credentials are enhanced.

©2021 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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