HB1927

Seven Democrats voted for the bill, according to an unofficial vote total: Terry Canales of Edinburg, who was a joint author; Ryan Guillen of Rio Grande City, another joint author; Harold Dutton of Houston; Richard Peña Raymond of Laredo; Tracy King of Batesville; Leo Pacheco of San Antonio and Eddie Morales Jr. of Eagle Pass. One Republican, Morgan Meyer of Dallas, voted against it. State Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson, was present but not voting.

Rep. Jeff Cason, R-Bedford, offered an amendment that would have lowered the minimum age for permitless carry from 21 to 18 years. Schaefer and other Republicans voiced opposition to the proposal, and Cason’s amendment failed overwhelmingly, 12-121.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who heads the Senate, has previously expressed hesitation over the measure, saying in a 2017 radio interview that, “with all the police violence today we have in our state … law enforcement does not like the idea of anyone being able to walk down the street with a gun and they don’t know if they have a permit or not.”

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