Texas House committee approves open carry bill

The full Texas House will take up a bill allowing for the open carry of handguns after a committee approved the legislation Thursday.

In a 7-2 vote, the House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety approvedHouse Bill 910by committee ChairmanLarry Phillips, R-Sherman, which would let Texans with a concealed handgun license openly carry their weapons in public.

The two “no” votes came from DemocratsAlfonso “Poncho” Nevrezof Eagle Pass andEric Johnsonof Dallas.

A similar bill by state Sen.Craig Estes, R-Wichita Falls,passed the Senatelast week and has been sent to the House.

Last week, the House committee heard public testimony for and against the legislation.

Alice Tripp, a lobbyist for the Texas State Rifle Association, told the committee that Texans with a concealed carry license are far less likely to commit a crime than the average Texan.

“It’s time to let them take off their coats to pump their gas in August,” she said.

That hearing also included testimony on a bill that would allow for the concealed carry of handguns on college campuses.The Senate has given its approval to a campus carry bill fromSen.Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury.

A University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll last month found a large majority of Texans areopposed to open carrywith or without a license. In the same poll, voters were split on allowing concealed handguns on state college and university campuses.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://www.texastribune.org/2015/03/26/house-committee-approves-open-carry/.