New law intended to clarify where open carry allowed

A sign warns that guns are not allowed in the City Council room in Houston City Hall. A sign warns that guns are not allowed in the City Council room in Houston City Hall. Photo: Cody Duty, Staff Photo: Cody Duty, Staff Image 1 of / 38 Caption Close New law intended to clarify where open carry allowed 1 / 38 Back to Gallery

AUSTIN - You soon may see Texans openly carrying handguns in health clinics, zoos and city halls.

There's only a few places where it remains illegal to carry a gun in Texas. You can carry a long arm -- a rifle or shotgun -- almost anywhere without the need to get a permit or other permission, and concealed carry for handguns has been legal for 20 years for those who can get a license.

But many of the places where it technically is legal for license holders to carry have been illegally banning guns for years, gun rights advocates say.

That's why Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, sponsored legislation last year to impose fines on any governmental entity that improperly bans guns in its facilities. The new law, which went into effect Sept. 1, is forcing many local leaders for the first time to allow guns in areas they previously had been prohibited.

On Wednesday, the Houston Chronicle reported health clinics and other outpatient facilities that are affiliated with public hospitals are the latest venues to be caught in the new law's crosshairs. Read that story here.

Zoos, city halls and county tax offices and even state-run hospitals also are grappling with the new law and how they may avoid having to allow open carry in their facilities.

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Amid the confusion and concern - which many expect will lead, not just to fines, but lawsuits - Campbell stands by her decision to pass the penalties law.

"(The law) doesn't make any changes to the list of places where weapons are prohibited. It simply enforces existing law with the intent of bringing clarity to where licensed gun owners can lawfully carry," said Jon Oliver, Campbell's chief of staff. "It has been successful in bringing clarity to areas where existing state law was previously ignored, either intentionally or unintentionally."

At least one Democrat has pledged to work to ban guns in some of these places, especially state-run hospitals. The next legislative session starts in January 2017.