A gun rights group gathered with two Texas legislators at the state Capitol on Friday afternoon to call on other lawmakers to do away with laws that require gun owners to have a license to carry their firearms.

Last month, Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, filed a bill in the state House seeking to do just that during this legislative session, which started Tuesday. Sen. Don Huffines, R-Dallas, has filed a similar bill in the Senate.

Both joined the rally Friday, organized by Open Carry Texas.



Roughly 75 people, many with guns holstered on their hips, stood outside the Capitol building during the rally.

At one point, a group of anti-gun activists wearing make-up to look like victims of gun violence interrupted the rally by continuously shouting "Shame!" and confronting some of the gun rights supporters.



CJ Grisham, president of Open Carry Texas, said his group supports both bills.

Grisham said Texans should be able to carry guns “in the way that the Constitution intended, which is uninfringed -- without a government permission slip and having to pay.”

Open Carry Texas was founded in 2013.

“We have these Carry to the Capitol events each legislative session to kind of kick-start the legislative session on gun rights,” Grisham said.

