Gov. Greg Abbott has signed seven pro-gun bills into law to protect guns laws for Texans, including one that allows residents to carry guns without permits.
“Politicians from the federal level to the local level have threatened to take guns from law-abiding citizens. Not in Texas! I just signed seven pieces of legislation into law protecting #2A rights in Texas — including constitutional carry and making Texas a #2A sanctuary state,” Abbott said in a Twitter post.
One of the most significant pieces of legislation passed is House Bill 1927, which takes away the requirement that residents of Texas have to get a license to carry handguns if they would not be otherwise prohibited by federal or state law as long as they are 21 years old, as described in the text of bill.
Prior to this permitless carry law being signed, residents of Texas needed to be licensed to carry handguns either in the open or concealed and they had to submit fingerprints, complete training and pass a written and shooting test, as described in an article by The Texas Tribune.
In a University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, 56% of Republicans believed that people should be able to carry handguns in public places without a permit or a license.
In total, 85% of Democrats do not believe that people should be able to carry handguns without a permit or license, the poll shows.
Of all Texas voters in the poll, 59% opposed residents being able to carry a gun without a license or a permit.
When it comes to safety, 34% of Texas voters said that more people carrying guns would make the U.S. safer, while 39% of Texas voters said that it would make the country less safe, the polling results showed.