Texas will allow free carrying of pistols without the need for a license

The southern state of Texas in the United States, as of September, will allow its residents the free carrying of pistols and revolvers without the need to obtain a license or participate in training.

The governor of Texas, Republican Greg Abbott, signed on Wednesday the bill that the Legislature had approved at the end of May.

The new rule only pertains to pistol or revolver type weapons, since until now Texas it already allowed the free carrying without a license of long weapons such as rifles or rifles.

Until now, to carry guns in public, Texans had to obtain a license, register their fingerprints, participate in a training course, and pass a written test and a shooting test.

By removing all these requirements, Texas joins a score of states with similar laws in USA.

This new project is the product of pressure exerted by conservative and pro-weapons groups in the face of skepticism from police organizations, Abbott himself and the majority of the public.

A recent poll by the University of Texas and local media The Texas Tribune indicated that 59% of Texans reject the free carrying of weapons without a license, while only 34% support it.

“Despite overwhelming support for common sense laws to prevent gun violence, such as universal background checks, Texas Republicans, led by a cowardly governor, are more interested in gaining the attention of the gun lobby than in preventing violence.” Said Democratic Congresswoman Veronica Escobar.

Opponents of the bill have warned that it will make it easier for shootings like the one in El Paso in 2019, which left 23 dead, to be repeated.