Deadly Texas Shootings Happen on the Eve of New Relaxed Texas Gun Laws Taking Effect Sunday In The State
It was only four weeks ago that a man from north of Dallas drove more than 650 miles to shoot up a market with an intent to kill "Mexicans." And 28 days later, five more people were killed in West Texas from gun violence.
On Sunday, sweeping new changes on gun laws take effect in the Lone Star State — making it easier to carry guns in public places, including schools and churches.
Here is a list of new gun laws (in laymen's terms) that are set to take effect in Texas:
- Licensed gun owners can store guns and ammunition in locked places in their vehicles — even on school campuses — as long as the weapon and ammo are out of sight. This includes school employees who are licensed gun owners.
- The state also removed the maximum amount of gun-carrying marshals can be allowed on school campuses.
- Licensed gun owners can carry their weapon(s) into a place of worship unless there are signs that prohibit guns. Just two years ago, there was a massacre where 26 people were killed by a gunman at a Sutherland Springs church in Texas.
- Landlords can no longer prohibit gun owners, who are legally-licensed to carry, the ability to possess weapons or ammunition on the property.
- In a law triggered by the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, a new law allows gun owners to legally carry concealed weapons without a license for up to 48 hours after the governor orders an evacuation.
- Foster families can now store their guns and ammunition together instead of having to store guns and ammo separately.
On Saturday, five people were killed and 21 others were injured after a shooting in West Texas between Midland and Odessa. Twenty-eight days earlier, a gunman killed 22 people in El Paso. There have been school shootings and church shootings the last two years in the state, and the latest Texas legislation said it wants people who visit schools and churches to have the ability to defend themselves and others.
There are more than 800 new Texas laws that go into effect on Sunday, including:
- It is now a felony to steal packages from someone's front porch instead of a misdemeanor
- Women can pump breast milk anywhere they want, instead of no specifications of where they were allowed to do it.
- Lemonade Law: Cities and neighborhoods can't restrict kids from selling lemonade from stands on private property without permits, or any children selling non-alcoholic drinks on private property.
- If a baby is born alive during a failed abortion, doctors must treat the baby as a living human being.
- Adults must be 21 to buy tobacco products. The previous age 18.
- Telemarketers will be banned from calling Texans through false phone numbers.
