Texas has had four of the ten deadliest mass shootings in modern US history. However, a day after its most recent shooting massacres in two towns in West Texas on Saturday, its lawmakers have voted to loosen gun laws and ease restrictions on gun ownership in the state. These laws make it easier and simpler for Texans to own firearms.
During the 86th session of the Texas Legislature, lawmakers passed nine new rules, with some examples listed below:
-School districts can no longer prohibit gun owners from storing firearms or ammunition in a locked vehicle on a school parking lot as long as they are not in plain view.
-Loosening Restrictions on carrying weapons in places of worship.
-Restrictions on how many armed school marshals a school district can appoint have been loosened.
-Prohibits residential leases from including clauses that prohibit firearms.
-Makes it easier for foster parents to have firearms in their homes.
-Residents evacuating from a disaster area cannot be charged with a crime for carrying a handgun.
The new laws went into effect from September 1st.
Kris brown, the president of gun violence prevention advocacy group Brady protested by saying, “Many states took the opportunity in the last two years to learn lessons from the tragedies in Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Parkland, and the everyday gun violence that plagues our citizens, and enacted new laws to protect public safety through expanded background checks and extreme risk laws”.
The state’s governor Greg Abbott however suggested that easing gun restrictions and preventing mass shootings aren’t mutually exclusive after being asked about the new laws, saying, “Some of these laws were enacted to make our communities safer”.
In Texas, there are no laws requiring owners to obtain a license and no background checks prior to owning a gun are required.
#Peace.Love.Texas
