Sparked by the campus stabbing in Houston, lawmakers in the Texas House passed a college-carry bill out of committee this morning and are hearing opposing bills related to gun restrictions.
The House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety passed a measure that would allow students and faculty at a public university to carry their gun on campus if they possess a CHL license.
"This is about a second amendment right to carry a gun, and we have the license. We do a background check, FBI check, every five years. So I think we are being very prudent in want we are doing. I think we have addressed the issue and we have tremendous amount of support," said Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Canton, who co-authored the bill.
Flynn said that support skyrocketed this week following the stabbing attack at Lone Star Community College Campus located in the Houston.
On the other side of the gun debate, Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, has introduced a bill that aims to close the gun-show loophole.
"This gun-show loophole has to go, people want it go. There are very powerful interest groups that want to stop it, I suspect they will be opposing my bill. We just have to solider on and make sure we get this done this session so our kids, law enforcement and general citizenry are safe," Anchia said.
Anchia cites reports that 90 percent of the guns leaving the country and sold to drug cartels are sales that start at a gun show.
His bill was left pending in committee while the bill allowing student and faculty CHL holders to carry a gun on a college campus passed out of committee with only Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, voting against the bill.
