New constitutional porterage law draws criticism, Houstonians applaud

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HOUSTON When it comes to carrying firearms without a license, Houstonians have shared different opinions.

At HTX Tactical Custom Firearms and Outdoors, the owner believes this will help public safety.

Even more to defend themselves. There’s so much going on these days it’s a crazy world, said co-owner George Abrego.

While others are on another page. Angelica Halphen, who fears an upsurge in armed violence, condemns the new constitutional law on porterage.

It will get worse. It’s not going to get better, Halphen said.

Halphen said her 18-year-old son Harrison Schmidt was killed in a road rage shootout in 2019 by someone who had a legal gun.

If my son could be shot by someone who legally had a gun who lost his temper, what will happen with that, Halphen said.

She shared similar concerns with Constituency 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia. Garcia hosted a panel discussion on Wednesday where he outlined some of his main objections.

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In my opinion, this makes Texas less secure. It is removing authority from local government to make counties and communities safer, Garcia said.

In his closing remarks he said: It is clear that we are alone, Harris County. The leaders of the state of Texas, dreaded by fears of the main challenges, are more concerned with their political future than with whether you can watch your children’s football game without fear of getting shot.

Under the new law, local government entities can no longer ban guns in public places like parks and libraries, but with proper signage posted, private businesses can still ban guns.

On the other hand, the laws regarding the purchase of firearms have not changed, which means that buyers are still subject to the same selection processes. Some gun manufacturers have said the new law makes them safer.

We see deaths and shootings happening every day on the news, I think everyone deserves the opportunity to protect themselves, Abrego said.

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The list of prohibited county government actions mentioned by the Commissioner includes (but is not limited to) the following:

HARRIS COUNTY CANNOT mandate the safe storage of weapons in vehicles

HARRIS COUNTY CANNOT ban guns in public spaces, including parks, community centers, libraries, and government facilities (such as tax assessors’ offices).

HARRIS COUNTY CANNOT impose background checks on weapons purchased at county facilities such as convention spaces

HARRIS COUNTY CANNOT require a license

HARRIS COUNTY CANNOT ban guns in performance venues (such as Wortham Center, Miller Outdoor Theater, and Discovery Green)

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