AMGOA Staff
Pennsylvania


Posts: 1,427

When the Texas Republican Party met for its statewide convention last year, passing constitutional carry was listed as the No. 1 priority for the 2017 session - or an 'emergency item,' in the words of State Representative Jonathan Stickland.

And so Stickland, a Republican from Bedford who has championed gun rights, did the honors and filed a constitutional carry bill in the Legislature, which, if passed, would allow Texans to carry guns whether or not they have a permit. It would make the now required Concealed Handgun License classes and training optional. And it would make carrying a gun free of charge (current permit application fees are $140, or $70 for Texans below the poverty line).

"We don't think people should be charged to invoke their constitutional rights and be required to take a class," Stickland said. "If we tried to do that with the First Amendment, people would be going insane over it. And I think there are a lot of folks that are in regards to this. Any time you put rules and regulations on anyone, it's the good guys you're hurting. Because criminals, they don't obey the laws anyway."

http://www.houstonpress.com/news/constitutional-carry-bill-is-texas-gops-top-priority-a-lawmaker-explains-why-9088657