Texas Senate advances major gun legislation

You may soon be able to carry your concealed handgun into buildings on public university campuses in Texas and openly carry your handgun in most other public places around the state.

As expected, the Senate on Thursday passed Senate Bill 11 by Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, which puts the Lone Star State a step closer to requiring public colleges and universities to allow concealed handguns on campus.

But Birdwell’s legislation stops short of allowing what another gun-related proposal cleared by the Senate would.

On Monday, a bill by Sen. Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls, to make it legal for gun permit holders to openly carry their holstered handguns, passed the Senate by the same margin, 20-11, on a party-line vote.

In making his case, Birdwell argued that his bill would make legal a “fundamental right granted by the Creator.”

However, his bill specifically states that only concealed carry should be allowed on campuses.

That’s an odd limitation to place on a “fundamental right,” especially since one of the more salient arguments in favor of the campus-carry bill is that public university campuses do not warrant a special carve-out from existing state gun laws.

The bills now head to the House, which held hearings on companion legislation for both measures this past week.

And while debate surrounding the proposals will be heated, it’s very likely they will reach Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk shortly.

This story was originally published March 20, 2015 at 7:24 PM with the headline "Texas Senate advances major gun legislation."