After yet another mass shooting in the state of Texas, lawmakers are preparing for new legislation that will allow the carry of firearms onto school grounds and in churches.
The new laws were already passed during the 2019 legislative session and will impact schools, foster homes, and places of worship.
It is House Bill 1143 that prohibits a school district from banning licensed gun owners, including employees, from storing a firearm or ammunition in a locked vehicle within a school parking lot. In addition, House Bill 1387 also loosens restrictions on the number of armed marshals that are appointed within a school district.
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Moreover, Senate Bill 535 allows licensed handgun owners to bring their weapons into places of worship.
As it stands, Texas currently has been the site of four of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in modern U.S. history. Just this weekend, a lone gunman killed at least seven people in west Texas just weeks after a gunman killed 22 people in an El Paso Walmart.
“We have learned many times over that there is no such thing as a gun-free zone. Those with evil intentions will violate the law and carry out their heinous acts no matter what,” said state Sen. Donna Campbell in a statement. “It makes no sense to disarm the good guys and leave law-abiding citizens defenseless where violent offenders break the law to do great harm.”
