Thursday, December 15, 2016

TEXAS TO ALLOW CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS



  


BREAKING: Texas Makes Massive Move to Allow Virtually Everyone To Concealed Carry
Posted By: December 3, 2016 

This is good news.

Owning a handgun could become more affordable for those living in Texas if Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has anything to say about it.

On Wednesday, Patrick announced that he had filed the paperwork for Senate Bill 16, which would eliminate any fees associated with obtaining a license to carry permit in the second largest state in the United States.

Currently, state law requires a $140 fee to carry a license and a $70 renewal fee every five years. At these rates, Texas has some of the most expensive fees in the nation. Such high costs can make owning a gun difficult, and law-abiding citizens shouldn’t be kept from owning a gun because they can’t afford government fees.

Perhaps those prohibitive fees will soon become something of the past.

Texas legislature doesn’t convene until mid-January, but a form already presented by Patrick showed that all language referring to citizens paying a fee to obtain a license was removed.

Bedford Republican State Rep. Jonathan Stickland supported the idea.

“We do not believe that citizens in Texas should have to pay for the right to defend themselves,” Stickland told KDFW.

The National Rifle Association Institute of Legislative Action applauded the bill, stating on its website, “No hard-working, law-abiding Texan should be priced out of the ability to exercise his or her right to self-defense.”

Citizens would still be required to undergo background checks as well as proper training before becoming certified, KFDA reported.

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SB 16 is definitely good news for Texans. If passed, it would help allow all citizens, regardless of income level, equal access to personal protection. The Second Amendment right to bear arms is one of our most basic freedoms, and it should be affordable for all who wish to exercise that right.

Share this story on Facebook and Twitter and let us know what you think about SB 16.



Texas bill could make getting a concealed carry license free

Shaun Rabb reports.

Posted:Dec 01 2016 04:40PM CST
Updated:Dec 05 2016 02:40PM CST

The National Rifle Association is applauding a bill pre-filed in Texas that would reduce the cost of obtaining a license to carry a concealed handgun.

There's a move by lawmakers to go beyond just reducing the fees to carry a weapon. They feel like there should be no fees at all.

Current state law requires a five-hour class that costs between $75-100, a $140 license fee to the state and a $10 fingerprint free. And once people get a license, there is a $70 renewal fee every five years. Texas has what may be the most expensive fees in the nation.

But some lawmakers in the legislature don't think citizens should have to pay for their constitutional right to carry.

While Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick hasn't weighed in on the measure, he said he fully supports lowering the fees for a license to carry in Texas.

Kimberly Black handles her business with a glock at DFW Gun Range, where license to carry classes are underway.

As a licensed instructor herself, Black feels the more than $200 in fees keep some people from getting a license

“I don’t think it should be something where they are prohibited because of the fact they can't afford to pay for it,” she explained.

Bedford Republican State Rep. Jonathan Stickland, who also authored the open carry measure that is now law in Texas, is leading the charge for constitutional carry without having to pay license fees.

“This would make it optional. We do not believe that citizens in Texas should have to pay for the right to defend themselves,” Stickland said.

Several states have already passed laws where licenses to carry are no longer necessary. The idea of constitutional carry is framed in the Second Amendment — the right to bear arms. Stickland says gun owners should receive training and background checks but shouldn’t be required to obtain a license.   

“So we're hoping that Texas becomes the eleventh state to pass constitutional carry,” Stickland said. “There are a number of other states where it’s introduced right now. It really has become the norm. And frankly, for the history of our country, it was the norm.”

In the last session, Stickland also proposed constitutional carry but did not pass. But it could be on target for a different outcome in the next legislative session in January.

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