It could be legal to holster a sidearm in plain sight in Texas by the fall.
It’s already legal to carry a concealed handgun, but Texas is one of six states that prohibit open carry. California, Florida, Illinois, New York and South Carolina are the other states with the ban.
The Texas Senate has approved bills that would allow open carry and campus carry for licensed gun holders. Both bills are pending in the House. Gov. Greg Abbott said he will sign open carry legislation into law.
Private businesses, such as restaurants and stores, could prohibit firearms, and private universities, such as TCU, could also opt out of this law, by banning weapons on school property.
“We are a private university, so the rules and regulations can change,” said TCU Police Lt. Ramiro Abad. “It all depends on the verbiage.”
Students’ reactions to the bills are mixed.
“I feel like this bill might make everyone feel more inclined to getting a firearm for their own protection, which makes sense, but in the end would not make the streets feel safer,” said Cait Faber, a second-year strategic communication at TCU.