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Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott courtesy statesman.com

Open carry wasn’t an issue in the Governor race this year in Texas for one very important reason: both candidates supported it. Both Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Wendy Davis had voiced their support for open carry laws in the Lone Star State, but speculation was that Davis was just paying lip service to the remarkably pro-gun voters that make up Texas’ electorate. Despite reports of issues with voting machines in my home county of Bexar, Abbott has secured the Governor’s seat according to CNN. Hopefully this will mean that we will actually see some movement on open carry in the Lone Star State this legislative cycle. And maybe even campus carry.

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56 COMMENTS

  1. Meanwhile, moderately pro-gun Tom Corbett has lost in PA to Democrat Ton Wolf. His position on gun control is unknown to me, but since the Obamas and former governor Ed Rendell are big fans of his I can probably take a shot.

    • Tom wolf is assuredly anti-gun. A gun control group called ceasefire pa gave him high rankings due to Mr Wolf’s answers on their questionnaire

    • His position on gun control is unknown to me, but since the Obamas and former governor Ed Rendell are big fans of his I can probably take a shot.

      Not for long…

    • Fat chance he will have getting any anti stuff through that legislature. By the same token fat chance the legislature will have getting much new stuff signed by him. So it’s a draw.

    • Corbett is a dirtbag for selling our land out to frackers, but overall he was the lesser evil in this race and I voted for him and encouraged as many people as I could to do so as well. A lot of typically conservative voters have felt screwed by Corbett over the fracking thing since all the activity was in their neck of the woods and has caused some notable problems (and since the bottom dropped out of that market not much in the way of returns). He’s also been crap for education. But what they failed to consider is that Wolf is a Bloomberg-funded anti-gunner and is going to be just as shitty on fracking and education. This is a problem, especially since we have the anti-gun psychopath Kathleen Kane as AG. Everyone who stayed home due to their gripes with Corbett may have screwed themselves much worse for doing so.

      • You do know that oil and gas companies already pay billions in taxes here in PA? Right? And that fracking has been in use for 70 years? Right? Hello?!?! Anyone alive in there!?!?!?

        • PA tax revenue from Marcellus shale hydrofracturing has been more like an optimistic 400 million to date, not billions, and only recently has this particular incarnation of the technology been employed in PA, not for 70 years.

          • Again, oil and gas companies pay billions in taxes. Democrats claiming they pay nothing is a lie. Period. Wolf ran ads claiming they pay nothing. He is a liar. Now, if YOU have proof that oil and gas companies do in fact NOT pay taxes whip it out. Or stop spreading Democrat Party lies.

      • Fracking has been used in PA since it was developed. Before the technology we call fracking came along oilmen dropped explosives down wells, called torpedoing back in the day. And guess what?!?! All of these happened in Pennsylvania, the birth place of the modern oil and gas industry. No! Don’t thank me, I love to spread knowledge.

  2. “Open carry law”. Well, hopefully there won’t be any open carry law in Texas, it will just be not unlawful and rightful as in 60% of the country.

  3. We knew Abbot was going to win. The question is how badly Wendy was defeated. I’m hoping her margin of failure will be epic, that will hobble the Dems in Texas for a few more years. And no, Wendy was not an open-carry supporter in any real sense., I am absolutely certain.

    • She lost by 20 points, much worse than Bill White did in 2010. That’s what I wanted–to run up the score and make Battleground Texas cry.

      • Thanks! Yes, that’s what I wanted to see, not just her defeat, but her dismal, degrading, demoralizing defeat…

    • Another Colorado Democrat (Mark Udall) learns the hard way: Vote for gun control, and die a terrible death in the next election.

  4. Awesome sauce! I’m hoping we will win the campus carry push this year as well in Nevada. It will pass if we can get it to vote.

  5. Republicans gaining senators (at least the predictions right now) in maybe 4+ states. I doubt gun control will be serious on the national agenda for the time being.

  6. Both candidates might have supported it, but I can guess that only one would consider signing a bill into law.

    Glad he won. Now maybe you Texas guys can have one less gun law in common with California, Illinois and New York. 🙂

  7. So the reps may get both houses?

    On another important note “sweater puppies”? I reaize why I use addblock….

    • Yep…first time to visit with an iPad….with ads like those, may as well bring back the Israely supermodels.

  8. Abbott has said he’d sign open carry IF it gets to his desk. My concern is getting there. CHL is a cash cow for DPS. So with the legislature focused on transportation, it is likely that the diversions from the gas tax will be reduced or eliminated. That means DPS will need to be funded, including the step up in border ops, from general revenue to make up for the loss. My prediction is that handgun OC will be tied to a carry permit, under the guise of safety…background check, class and proficiency demonstration. A single permit for OC and CC. Bam…OC for the gun rights folks and an increased revenue stream for DPS.

    • on the contrary, the legislature has repeatedly ignored transportation in the budget. which is why theyre just going to steal money from the rainy day fund via prop 1.

    • My only thought would be that, do those who support OC not already have a carry permit? Most of these stalwart supporters of the 2A who are willing to support OC most likely already have a CHL, at least imho and from the handful that I know(not aware of stats that prove or disprove the opinion).

      @Chuck In IL – Couldnt agree more, I hope Chickenpooper is on the way out in a hurry,

    • As far as I’ve heard, OC has been mooted as an ‘add-on’ to CHL. I’d much prefer CC, but I’ll take OC, even if I will likely continue to conceal.

      Kinda like how TX doesn’t require motorcycle helmets, I respect that, but I’m still wearing a helmet and recommending it to everyone.

    • My understanding is that OC with a permit was all that was ever proposed, and all that either Davis or Abbott said they would support. Is there a real OC (non-permit) proposal out there?

    • This is a terrible idea for CHL holders who train and take personal responsibility for using up to and including deadly force under legal articulation of Title 2 Chapter here in Texas to protect themselves and loved ones.

      We have the 30.06 sign that anyone can put up to ban guns on their property. Without repealing the 30.06 signage or making it unenforceable, scared business owners will put up 30.06 signage after seeing open carriers.

      This makes those businesses open to the public: GUN FREE ZONES. Scared sheep will do this thereby making all law abiding citizens disarm. Now I, and all other CHL holders have fewer places to go armed.

      This sucks tactically for all CHL holders, open carry or not. Screw open carry without repealing the 30.06 sign.

  9. “both candidates supported it.”

    Just the same way the democrats support individual freedom and the Constitution.

    She only even was willing to say anything about open carry in a futile attempt to stay competitive in a seemingly tight race.

    I fully expect the next executive amnesty push to happen in full swing after the midterms, if you cant win a state or swing state, well then gerrymander at a national level and shift the demographics to your choosing. Looking ahead to 2016, this seems like an almost inevitable outcome.

  10. Nice,
    We just ended up with Tom (let’s ban assault rifles) Wolf up here in PA. I only hope that republicans hold the state house and Senate.

    • As of 9:20 MST, Bob Beauprez has 49% and Hickenlooper has 47% with about 78% of the votes counted. It’s a close call, but I’m thinking Hick is going to lose.

  11. Breaking news!

    Fox News just reported that the GOP now has 50 seats in the Senate!

    Take that Obama and Reid!

  12. I think this kind of article is a problem for the people of the gun.

    I’ve said this before- look at the teachers, and look at the unions. They hitched their trailer to the Democratic Party- NOT their principles. What happened? Dems who are being “brave” screw them over, Dems who support them lose elections because they are considered union/teacher pawns, and in general they are not getting any of their priorities enacted anywhere.

    Meanwhile, look at the way business does things: they donate to whoever looks like they’re going to win, and donate more to anyone who helps them. And they seem to do okay no matter what the political environment.

    The people of the gun need to take note: if we treat people like Wendy Davis as the enemy SOLELY because she is a Democrat, we will someday find that no Democrat will have the time of day for us- and all of a sudden it’ll be the “brave” Republicans who buck their party and promote “moderate” gun control, while we have no choice but to take it since the opposing Democrat is going to be worse. We need to keep Republicans scared by being willing to support Democrats who agree with us.

    • And Cuomo in NY remains also. We vanquished some of the tyrants tonight, but not all of them.

      On a happier note, Pat Quinn (D, IL) has been defeated.

    • “We need to keep Republicans scared by being willing to support Democrats who agree with us.”

      I’ll keep that in mind if I ever see a Democratic politician who truly supports the principle of individual responsibility and the right to self-defense.

      I’ll keep a rainbow in my pocket to feed to any unicorns I run into, as well.

    • Wendy Davis was my enemy not because she called herself a Democrat, but because she believed in the stuff Democrats as a party believe in, including but not limited to gun control. She was on record with anti-gun votes as a city council member and, I believe, as a state senator. She said, as I recall, she would support OC if it was properly regulated. You know, like Shannon says she supports private gun ownership as long as it is subject to “common sense” restrictions (like, no gun that can fire more than 10 rounds in a minute). What in the world makes you think Wendy would be a friend to POTG? She couldn’t even be bothered to do the Ann Richards “put on some camo and pretend to be hunting quail” thing.

  13. Breaking: Neal Kashkari wins ca governor. Oh wait… never mind, no one even knew he was running. Looks like Brown will be reigning in my state for a few more centuries.

  14. Abbott rolls to victory!!!! Stand up, Gregg, stand up! Oh, what am I talking about!

    Sorry, just could not let that golden Bidenism go unused. Congratulations, Mr Governor!!!!!!!

  15. “Both Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Wendy Davis had voiced their support for open carry laws in the Lone Star State, but speculation was that Davis was just paying lip service to the remarkably pro-gun voters that make up Texas’ electorate.”

    While on the Fort Worth City Council, Davis supported gun restrictions, including for gun shows at city facilities.

    In 2011, she voted against a bill that authorizes concealed handgun permit holders to carry concealed handguns while on the campus of an institution of higher education.

    Speculation? Her previous actions speak quite a lot of about her future intentions on gun control.

    You did nearly the same thing in the 2012 presidential election, saying Obama was not going to push for gun control in spite of Obama’s votes for gun control in the Illinois legislature and U.S. Senate, as being of the board of the Joyce Foundation.

  16. It’s easy to talk big about legislation, when you’re one of the constitutionally weakest governors in the country.

    Constitutional carry will never make it through the Texas legislature. The best that could be hoped for would be licensed OC, but only if LOC enjoyed none of the legal protections that CC enjoys (any “no guns” sign would be good enough to earn a Class A Misdemeanor (loss of CHL for 7 years and up to one year in jail), for instance).

    Nothing else will make it through the legislature, nor even the gatekeepers at TSRA, although the latter will also talk a good game.

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