Have Texans Reached a Limit on Expanding Gun Rights?

The Texas legislature is poised to expand gun rights in a pair of bills this session, allowing Texans with concealed handgun licenses to carry holstered handguns openly and lifting a ban on concealed handguns on college campuses.

That’s no surprise in the deep red state where politicians have ridden support for guns (and bibles) into public office. Check out this online ad by then Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott as he was preparing to run for governor (he defeated Wendy Davis in a landslide last November).

But a new University of Texas / Texas Tribune poll suggests that Texans may have reached their limit on expanding gun rights. Don’t get us wrong – Texans love their guns – but only 22 percent of Texas voters in the survey said that gun control laws should be made less strict:



Among Republicans, who control every statewide office in Texas, 52 percent believe that gun control laws should be left as they are now.

But the real number to look at, may be Tea Party voters. Texas is a straight-ticket voting state with very low primary turnout, and the Tea Party continues to dominate in Republican primaries that propel candidates into public office. Among those who identify as Tea Party voters, 54 percent supported expanding gun rights:



Will Texas legislators catch up to the majority public view on gun control laws in Texas? Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis, a Democrat, told the Houston Chronicle that he’s not optimistic: “My colleagues are not listening or they don’t care… My gut is that some of their thought processes have been high jacked by a small, very vocal element in the GOP.”