Austin, TX (WBAP/KLIF) _ It looks like permit-less carry may not pass the Texas Senate. the controversial state House passed bill that would allow Texans to carry handguns without a license doesn’t have enough support according to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
“If we have the votes to pass a permitless carry bill off the Senate floor, I will move it,” Patrick said in a statement. “At this point we don’t have the votes on the floor to pass it. I plan to meet with law enforcement who oppose permitless carry and with the [National Rifle Association] and [Gun Owners of America] who support it to see if we can find a path that a majority of senators will vote to pass.”
On Monday Patrick said that he plans to meet with law enforcement who oppose the measure and with the NRA and Gun Owners of America who support it to try to find a path that a majority of Senators will pass.
Senate bills require 18 votes of the total 31-member chamber to advance to the floor. There are only 18 GOP senators, which means the bill would require the support of every Republican Senator.
On Friday one key GOP Senator, Kel Seliger of Amarillo, told the Texas Tribune that he may not be immediately supportive of the proposal, saying, “The system in place now works.”
(Copyright 2021 WBAP/KLIF 24/7 News. This report contains material from the Dallas Morning News and The Texas Tribune.)
