STATEMENT: Captain Mark Kelly On The 2017 Texas Legislative Session
May 30, 2017– As the 2017 Texas legislative session comes to a close, Navy combat veteran and NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, the Co-Founder of Americans for Responsible Solutions (ARS), issued the following statement today:
Captain Mark Kelly:
About Permitless Carry in Texas
This year, Americans for Responsible Solutions helped defeat two dangerous permitless carry bills (HB 1911 and HB 375) that would have made Texas less safe. The bills would:
- Make Texas A Permitless Carry State. If passed, HB 375 or HB 1911 would have allowed any eligible person to purchase a firearm and carry both open and concealed handguns in public without a permit.
- Stop Colleges From Preventing Campus Carry. If passed, HB 375 would have also prohibited college and university campuses from preventing individuals from carrying concealed handguns on their campuses.
About Liability Bills In Texas
This year, Americans for Responsible Solutions helped defeat two dangerous permitless carry bills (HB 447 and HB 556) that would have interfered with Texas private property owners’ basic right to determine what is safe and reasonable for their own property.
- Infringing on the Rights of Business Owners: If HB 447 passed, businesses that did not permit CCW holders to carry handguns on their premises would be held liable for any damages that could have been prevented by a CCW holder carrying a handgun on their premises. It also included limited civil immunity to businesses that allowed CCW holders to carry handguns on their premises.
- Infringing on the Rights of Landlords and Business Owners: If HB 556 passed, business owners and apartment complex owners would be held strictly liable for damages if they prohibited license holders from carrying concealed handguns on their premises. It would have also provided limited immunity from liability to owners who do permit carrying concealed handguns on their premises.
About Texas’ Gun Laws
Texas has some of the worst gun laws in the nation, regularly scoring an F in the Law Center’s annual Gun Law State Scorecard. It fails to require background checks for private sales, does not require gun dealers to obtain a state license and has incredibly weak standards for allowing people to carry concealed guns in public. Learn more about gun laws in Texas here.