Police Warn Against Unlicensed Gun Bill Circulating Texas Legislature

By Carrie Lemon : April 15, 2021

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AUSTIN - Police chiefs and sheriffs from across Texas have been urging lawmakers to reject legislation that would allow unlicensed handgun owners to openly carry lethal weapons. Veteran and retired police officer, Brian Callahan visited the capitol Thursday to voice his concerns alongside fellow law enforcement professionals.

"The legislators are really gambling with innocent lives. Right now, civilian gun access is at an all-time high and gun deaths, officer deaths are at an all-time high along with them. If you take away the only training we give civilians right now, things are going to get worse quick."

Callahan isn't the only one worried, he was joined by a crowd of active and retired police officers, all present to oppose what Republican legislators have been calling the "constitutional carry" bill. Others, like Llano Lake police chief, Merle Willis spent the day calling members to explain their position.

"I think there's a lot of well-intentioned folks at the legislature who really, truly do want to help police. But there are very few state representatives with actual experience in law enforcement. They just don't know the danger they put us, that they put our officers in when they make it so darn easy to posses a firearm. It genuinely will get officers, not to mention a whole bunch of civilian killed."

It remains unclear how police union opposition will impact Republican support for the bill, known as HB 1927, which would allow Texans 21 years and older to carry a handgun in public without a license. But no matter how the vote goes, Texas peace officers will continue to risk their lives in a state where it's already legal to purchase and carry a handgun in your car without any prior training or licensure, a fact that's made Texas police increasingly nervous with each passing day.

Despite HB 1927's broad support in the house, law enforcement groups still have reason for hope. When asked to comment on similar legislation in 2017, conservative Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick who serves as leader the state senate said, “with all the police violence today we have in our state … law enforcement does not like the idea of anyone being able to walk down the street with a gun and they don’t know if they have a permit or not." Patrick has the power to stop the bill from every coming to a vote in the senate, the questions as to whether or not he'll use it remains unanswered.