It’s time to crack open the champagne. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law two crucial bills expanding the Second Amendment rights of gun owners in the Lone Star State.
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Sponsored by Rep. Larry Phillips (R-Sherman) and Sen. Craig Estes (R-Wichita Falls), HB 910 — the so-called “open carry” bill which passed the House by a 102-43 vote on May 29 — enables a licensed individual to carry a holstered handgun openly.
Meanwhile, SB 11, the “campus carry” bill by Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) and Rep. Allen Fletcher (R-Cypress), would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry a concealed handgun on public college campuses. It passed in the Senate by a 20-11 vote late last month.
“Today I am proud to expand liberty in the Lone Star State,” Abbott said in a statement. “By signing these bills into law, Texans can be assured that their Second Amendment rights will be stronger and more secure than ever before.”
As KVUE reports, Abbott and his team descended on Red’s Indoor Range, an indoor gun store and shooting range in Pflugerville, for the signing.
RELATED STORY: Texas Gov.-Elect Greg Abbott Says He Will Sign Open Carry Bill
Open carry will officially take effect in Texas on Jan. 1, 2016, while campus carry will begin on Aug. 1, 2016.
Read more: http://www.kvue.com
