Texas Businesses Adapt to New Open Carry Law

[Alamo]

One thing we need to keep in perspective is that the way the Texas law was written, interpreted, and enforced, my understanding is that you could get busted for carrying illegally if your licensed concealed gun so much as printed. It was very near carrying illegally. If anyone could tell in any way shape or form you were carrying, you were not considered 'concealed'. I see the big victory in relief from that.

This is, and was always, completely and utterly false. There should be a Snopes entry on this.

 

[IndyDave1776]

This is, and was always, completely and utterly false. There should be a Snopes entry on this.

OK, thanks for bringing an informed perspective to a popular myth. Don't count on Snopes for much though. It is run by a couple of hard left fruits with an agenda with no more investigative apparatus than any of us have, just the time on their hands, the will to Google things to death, and having established themselves somehow as being the end all and be all in truth, when they aren't.

 

[Alamo]

By adapting the media means banning them. Good grief.Texas Businesses Adapt To Open Carry Law : NPR

Factoid Update:From the article:

Previously, Texans wanting to carry a handgun had to obtain a concealed handgun license and conceal their weapon. With the new law, the more than 826,000 state license holders will be allowed to openly display their handguns in most public places.

As of the middle of December, there are over 922,000 active Licenses to Carry in Texas.

 

[igotdiesel2]

Factoid Update:From the article:As of the middle of December, there are over 922,000 active Licenses to Carry in Texas.

How does one find those numbers? I would like to see them for Indiana -Jason

 

[Alamo]

How does one find those numbers? I would like to see them for Indiana -Jason

I don't know where you find it for Indiana.

In Texas the Department of Public Safety is required to publish yearly statistics on the numbers of CHLs (now LTCs), numbers of CHLs convicted, etc. They put them on their website. (Btw those reports were a sop to the antis back when the concealed carry law was first legislated -- -the antis were sure that the stats would reveal the murderous rampages of licensed handgun carriers. Of course it backfired gloriously).

I got the most recent number tho from Alice Tripp, the Texas State Rifle Association lobbyist in Austin. She reported in an email that as of 17 Dec 15 there were 922,127 active LTCs in Texas. She probably called DPS to get the most current number.

 

[Alamo]

...

The media keeps reporting "open carry" as doughy dudes carrying rifles when it has nothing to do with long guns.

....

Well, to be fair, those who profess to be the One True Open Carry/Constitutional Carry Advocates gave the press plenty of video of nonsense like this. Waving long guns under people's noses and trying to intimidate lawmakers is more attractive to the press than responsibly behaving yourself. Somehow they don't see how it actually retards progress.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Who WOULDN'T want a guy muzzling folks with a slung AK with the safety off?

 

[eldirector]

Who WOULDN'T want a guy muzzling folks with a slung AK with the safety off?

May have missed it... What does this have to do with the licensed open carry of handguns?

 

[Dirtebiker]

One thing we need to keep in perspective is that the way the Texas law was written, interpreted, and enforced, my understanding is that you could get busted for carrying illegally if your licensed concealed gun so much as printed. It was very near carrying illegally. If anyone could tell in any way shape or form you were carrying, you were not considered 'concealed'. I see the big victory in relief from that.

I was just in Texas and talked to a few gun owners there. I was told that it did NOT matter whether it printed or not. As long as you had a cover over the gun, you were gtg!

 

[ArmedNerds]

May have missed it... What does this have to do with the licensed open carry of handguns?

Nothing. But by god does that guy have poor handling discipline.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

May have missed it... What does this have to do with the licensed open carry of handguns?

However, the law allows private businesses to ban guns if they choose.

Dallas restaurant owner Jack Perkins is a gun rights supporter, but he says visible weapons may be bad for business.

But open-carry advocates have been a very vocal minority in the past. In 2014, young men showed up at fast food restaurants around Texas carrying tactical long rifles in protest. Groups in Fort Worth have staged weekly walks carrying weapons like the AR-15 and AK-47.In response, chains including Starbucks, Jack In The Box, Chili's, Sonic and Chipotle have asked customers to leave weapons at home.
If private businesses want to prevent people from bringing weapons inside, they are required by the law to display a sign with 1-inch block lettering. Separate signs are required for banning open carry and concealed carry.

When businesses ban weapons due to shenanigans, they don't ban long guns only. Since the signs carry force of law in TX...see how it affects handguns?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Who WOULDN'T want a guy muzzling folks with a slung AK with the safety off?

Oh, yeah, what if you had a beard and did that? See, if you had a beard and were all tactical and stuff it would be safe!

 

[HoughMade]

Oh, yeah, what if you had a beard and did that? See, if you had a beard and were all tactical and stuff it would be safe!

Your sarcasm reveals your clear anti-beard bias. I am profoundly and deeply offended.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Your sarcasm reveals your clear anti-beard bias. I am profoundly and deeply offended.

Yes, but your beard also shields you from negligently discharged bullets . . . so you got that going too.

 

[IndyDave1776]

Yes, but your beard also shields you from negligently discharged bullets . . . so you got that going too.

Kirk, you would remind me of some childhood misunderstandings! About the time I was starting to pay attention to signs, even if I needed someone else to read them to me, I came up with some interesting ideas, including the notion that 'Dead End' meant that going to the end of the street was fatal. On that note, I also had some interesting ideas on what it meant to 'get fired' reinforced by the presence of armed security at the entrance to the factory where both parents and one of my aunts worked. There was also a contractor in town with the company name prominently displayed on its trucks and storage trailers called 'Steele-Beard Electric'. You could imagine what my fertile imagination discerned from that! And here you are talking about bullet-proof beards and reminding me of things I haven't though about in God know how long. Thanks for dredging up a few funny memories!

 

[Bill of Rights]

How does one find those numbers? I would like to see them for Indiana -Jason

I don't know where you find it for Indiana.

In Texas the Department of Public Safety is required to publish yearly statistics on the numbers of CHLs (now LTCs), numbers of CHLs convicted, etc. They put them on their website. (Btw those reports were a sop to the antis back when the concealed carry law was first legislated -- -the antis were sure that the stats would reveal the murderous rampages of licensed handgun carriers. Of course it backfired gloriously).

I got the most recent number tho from Alice Tripp, the Texas State Rifle Association lobbyist in Austin. She reported in an email that as of 17 Dec 15 there were 922,127 active LTCs in Texas. She probably called DPS to get the most current number.

Glad to help, guys. The Indiana info is available at: ISP: Firearms Licensing Statistics

You're going to have to do some number crunching.

Your sarcasm reveals your clear anti-beard bias. I am profoundly and deeply offended.

Sokay Hough. Just remember this truism:

That is all.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Alamo]

May have missed it... What does this have to do with the licensed open carry of handguns?

Some of the more...vigorous, shall we say... supporters of open carry and constitutional carry chose to carry long guns during various demonstrations and into various businesses, and this was supposed to advance the case for OC an Const. Carry somehow. Pretty much everyone else saw it do the opposite. While there is no law against carrying long guns in public in Texas, the effect of carrying a long gun in urban or suburban settings has a different impact than carrying them on ranches or while hunting.

 

[Alamo]

I was just in Texas and talked to a few gun owners there. I was told that it did NOT matter whether it printed or not. As long as you had a cover over the gun, you were gtg!

Yes. Prior to the advent of open carry, in order to be convicted of failing to properly conceal, the prosecution would have to show the you intentionally failed to conceal a handgun. For legal OC you have to carry using a belt or shoulder holster - pocket carry with the grip sticking out is not going to meet the legal definition for example. However to be convicted of failing to properly conceal, it will have to be shown that you intentionally exposed the grip.

 

[Alamo]

Not all businesses got the heebie-jeebies about open carry. Brooks BBQ in Houston offered 25% discount to anyone open carrying on Jan 1, first day it was legal. They still offer 10% off.

Houston-area BBQ favorite offered 25 percent off for open-carrying customers on first day of new law - Houston Chronicle


Some other places have put up this sign:

 

[Kutnupe14]

Not all businesses got the heebie-jeebies about open carry. Brooks BBQ in Houston offered 25% discount to anyone open carrying on Jan 1, first day it was legal. They still offer 10% off.

Houston-area BBQ favorite offered 25 percent off for open-carrying customers on first day of new law - Houston Chronicle


Some other places have put up this sign:

Seems like a gimmick to generate business. Anywho, I hope they do well.