House vote throws open carry bill into jeopardy

See some of the most interesting. The Texas Legislature has been inundated with gun bills since pre-filing for the current legislative session began, and this time they have a better chance of passing See some of the most interesting. The Texas Legislature has been inundated with gun bills since pre-filing for the current legislative session began, and this time they have a better chance of passing Photo: © TODD SPOTH, 2013 Photo: © TODD SPOTH, 2013 Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close House vote throws open carry bill into jeopardy 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN – The Texas House dealt a blow to open carry Wednesday, refusing to sign off on a provision that would bar police officers from detaining or questioning someone solely for visibly toting a handgun.

The House had the chance to give the legislation final approval and send it to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott, who has pledged to sign it into law. Instead, the lower chamber disagreed with the controversial provision added by the Senate, sending the bill to a conference committee.

Should the committee fail to come to agreement, the bill would come back to the House for a second attempt to get the membership to concur with the Senate version. If the two chambers are unable to agree in the remaining days of the session, the bill would die.

Police groups have expressed vehement opposition to the provision in question, which was tacked onto the Senate version of the bill by Sen. Don Huffines, R-Dallas.

"We're making a shift that is going to put officers in a very uncomfortable situation," Rep. Phil King, a former Fort Worth officer and Weatherford Republican, said in opposition to the Huffines amendment. He called the bill itself a "quantum shift" from current policy.

Rep. Harold Dutton, D-Houston, who first proposed the amendment in the House, said it was necessary to deter police officers from profiling those who open carry based on race.

"If I'm standing on the corner and (Rep.) Larry Phillips is stand on opposite corner, and I'm openly carrying my weapon and the police pull up, who do they go to first?" asked Dutton. "If we're going to have (open carry), I'm going to make sure it applies to the people I represent and the people who look like me the same as it does to everybody."

If agreement is reached, House Bill 910 by Phillips, R-Sherman, would allow those with concealed carry licenses to openly carry their handguns in a shoulder or belt holster.

The open carry of long arms like rifles and shotguns is already allowed in Texas without any such licensure requirements.

Earlier Wednesday, the state House gave final approval to another bill that would allow properly licensed gun owners to carry their handguns concealed into college buildings and dormitories. The House version, unlike its mate in the Senate, would allow campuses to decide where to allow guns, and also would require private, as well as public, universities to implement the legislation. That measure also likely headed to a conference committee.