During a trip through Texas last month, I found myself waiting in the security line at the state Capitol. To enter, I had to pass through a metal detector. But to my left there was a separate line: It allowed Texans with handgun permits to enter the building uninspected. Now, amid yet another round of mass shootings, Texas is moving toward getting rid of those permits altogether.
This week, the Texas House of Representatives passed a bill that would allow adults to carry handguns without first getting a license to do so. If the bill became law, Texas would become the 14th state to pass a so-called “constitutional carry” bill. Texans over the age of 21 would no longer need to take a safety course and pass a test at a shooting range to carry open or concealed handguns.
The Texas House passed the bill on Thursday in a 84–56 vote. That evening, the NRA celebrated the news with a tweet that included a celebratory emoji. A few hours later, in the latest in a string of mass shootings, a man killed eight people at a FedEx facility […]
