AUSTIN - Texas House Republicans delivered several victories to gun-rights advocates Saturday, advancing proposals intended to place more guns in schools and to prevent the federal government from seizing a Texan's firearm or ammo.

As part the lower chamber's unofficial "gun day," lawmakers voted to tentatively approve a bevy of gun bills - from creating a program for so-called school marshals trained to thwart attacks to reducing the amount of classroom instruction needed for a concealed handgun permit.

The most controversial, however, is one designed to allow college students with a concealed handgun license to tote their pistols in the classroom. The bill tentatively passed on a voice vote but still needs to clear a final hurdle Monday.

"I did not file this bill so CHL holders can be heroes in mass murders, but rather so they can protect themselves," said Rep. Allen Fletcher, R-Cypress, who authored the House Bill 972.

It marked the first time the Republican-led House has been able to pass a concealed carry measure, despite the proposal being a top priority of the gun lobby since surfacing in Texas in 2009.

However, the measure's future is uncertain in the Senate.

Houston Democrat John Whitmire, who oversees the committee that deals with gun bills, has said he will not give the proposal a vote.

Procedural moves fail

As a result, Senate leaders are already trying to find a way to overcome that hurdle. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is considering diverting the proposal away from Whitmire's committee and sending it to a friendlier one.

But Senate leaders were waiting to see what the House bill looks like before acting. They're also not ruling out the possibility of talking Whitmire into accepting the bill that was tweaked to allow universities and colleges to opt out and barred concealed carry at major campus events.

Fletcher said amendments could make the proposal more palatable for Whitmire.

"When the bill is passed on Monday, Senator Whitmire will be the first person I'll go see," Fletcher said.

Democrats tried unsuccessfully six different times to derail the bill with procedural moves.

"The fact of the matter is the universities don't want this," state Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburgh, said of the concealed carry proposal. "The ultimate goal of a school is to create an environment conducive to learning and research, and that is not in line with letting everybody carry guns."

Fletcher's bill took up much of Saturday's debate and other proposals, including Dallas Republican Rep. Jason Villalba's to create a "school marshal" program, sailed through without much scrutiny.

Villalba's House Bill 1009, filed just days after the massacre of 20 students at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, calls for training unidentified school officials who will be allowed to use a gun in case of an attack, similar to air marshals on commercial flights.

Pre-emptive action

Another proposal that passed on a voice vote would make it illegal for a Texan's firearm to be seized under federal law - a pre-emptive attempt to block any potential federal move to ban certain firearms.

Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, received House approval for his proposal to exempt Texas from any federal attempts to regulate assault weapons or high-capacity ammo clips.

That bill also sailed through, but some Democrats raised concerns that the proposal is nothing but political posturing.

"This bill is not the Second Amendment bill," said Rep. Chris Turner, D-Arlington. "It's about saying we're making a political statement, and we don't like President Obama and we don't like Washington."

Still ahead: final votes

The House also approved a slate of other gun bills, including one to reduce by half the amount of classroom instruction needed for a concealed handgun permit and another allowing permits to be renewed online.

The only gun bill that failed Saturday was one by Rep. Van Taylor, R-Plano, who authored a proposal to add concealed handgun licenses to the list of acceptable state identification, alongside a driver's license. San Antonio Democrat Ruth Jones McClendon, who sparred with Taylor a day earlier over her failed needle exchange bill, derailed the proposal.

All the gun bills passed Saturday still need a final vote before heading to the Senate.

Staff writer Peggy Fikac contributed to this report.