The state is preparing for the imminent passage of a law that would eliminate the requirement for Texans to obtain any kind of license to carry handguns unless they're prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a gun.
Both chambers of the Texas Legislature have passed House Bill 1927 for the so-called permitless carry of handguns — open or concealed — and Gov. Abbott already committed to sign the bill into law, which is now headed for his desk.
What are the details and how will this change Texas' already permissive gun laws? What are the exceptions for permitless carry, as detailed in Texas' legislation? How does HB 1927 compare to others like it across the country?
What is the history of U.S. and Texas firearms law and related legal challenges? Does what proponents refer to as a "constitutional carry" law raise questions of Second Amendment constitutionality?
What are the potential implications of the Supreme Court’s plans to take up a major firearms law case for the first time in more than a decade?
What role did Texas law enforcement agencies and organizations play in the crafting and tailoring of HB 1927? What are the potential implications for public safety?
Guests:
- Lucas Powe Jr., Anne Green Regents Chair in Law and professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin
- Josh Blackman, professor at the South Texas College of Law Houston and adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute
- Adam Winkler, Connell Professor of Law at the University of California Los Angeles and author of "Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America"
- Brian Hawthorne, Chambers County Sheriff and legislative chairman for the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas
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*This interview was recorded on Wednesday, June 2.