Constitutional Carry in Texas is Dead this Session

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas House Bill 357 is dead. The bill would have effectively created constitutional carry in the State of Texas. So called constitutional carry allows gun owners to carry a handgun, either openly or concealed, without a handgun license.

Friday, April 5, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen announced constitutional carry legislation was dead in Texas. Prior to the announcement by the Speaker, the Texas Senate had no bill or bill author for constitutional carry.

Several days before the announcement, Chris McNutt, executive director of the nonprofit organization Texas Gun Rights, handed out flyers in support of constitutional carry in the Speaker's district and the districts of legislators that McNutt perceived were stalling constitutional carry legislation from passing. Speaker Bonnen however called the act "insanity", "threats and intimidation".

In response to this news, Texas House Representative Jonathan Stickland, author of House Bill 357, declared his bill dead and said in a statement "I refuse to act like it is still a possibility and continue to provide false hope to my constituents."