A new gun law taking effect on Friday will allow residents to openly carry licensed handguns in Texas, where nearly a million people already have permits to carry concealed weapons.
Retail and commercials businesses seem split on whether to opt out on open carry, as provided by the new law.
The new law still bans open carry at schools, courts and jails. Bars, polling places and sanctioned sporting events are off-limits, too. Government meetings can be gun free with a notice.
The state had banned the open carry of handguns since after the Civil War but allowed residents to carry rifles and shotguns openly, said
USA Today.
Texas becomes the largest state to sanction some form of open carry. California, Florida, Illinois, New York and South Carolina still ban open display of firearms.
More than 925,000 Texas residents have a concealed handgun license, said the
Dallas Morning News.
Open carry supporters in the state's legislature had argued that Texas lagged behind other states in allowing open carry, tying it to Second Amendment rights. Opponents of the measure, mostly Democrats, argued that the open carry was dangerous and pandered to the gun lobby.
Texas attorney general Ken Paxton ruled earlier this month that gun owners could carry holstered weapons in the parking lots and on the sidewalks and driveways owned by school districts if there are no school-sponsored events taking place, said the
Austin American-Statesman.
Whole Foods and grocer H-E-B, along with the fast food restaurant Whataburger, have opted out of allowing customers to openly carry handguns in their establishments, as provided in the new law, said
CNN Money.
"We've always asked our customers to conceal their weapons," said Dya Campos, a spokesperson for H-E-B which has 150 locations in Texas. "The only difference now is that we have to post signage."
Kroger, Home Depot and Bass Pro Shops have said they will allow customers to openly carry their handguns, said the Morning News.
"We've not seen any significant issues," said Kroger spokesman Gary Huddleston.
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