David Muto, Texas Tribune
Tuesday’s shooting on a college campus in Houston has inflamed the already heated debate over gun rights in Texas.
The shooting, at the North Houston campus of Lone Star College, erupted amid an argument between two men, injuring three and making national headlines in the wake of last month’s Connecticut school shooting. A suspect involved in the incident has been charged with aggravated assault, according to the Houston Chronicle.
For some state legislators, the shooting has likely pounded new urgency into the issue of gun rights, on which lawmakers have already filed a slew of bills, including one that would allow concealed handgun license holders to carry weapons on college campuses. The so-called campus carry bill has failed in previous sessions.
________________________________
Related Video:
Houston State Senator John Whitmire is working on a bill to aid schools in providing own security options
(KRIV 26 News)
________________________________
The Houston shooting may also motivate some lawmakers to try to push new laws related to public school safety.
As the Austin American-Statesman reports, three lawmakers on Tuesday filed legislation that would allow school districts to raise local taxes to pay for additional security measures in public schools.
“This is a Texas solution to save lives without sacrificing and trampling our freedoms,” said state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, one of the bill’s sponsors. “We’ll let school districts decide for themselves what works. A blanket state mandate won’t work, nor will a one-size-fits-all policy.”
Several schools across the state are also considering policies of their own that would allow employees to carry concealed handguns. As the Tribune’s Morgan Smith reports today, though, a dearth of research on the effectiveness of such policies has led some of those districts to seek guidance before altering their safety operations.
(This article originally appeared in the Texas Tribune)
RELATED STORIES:
- Texas Schools Look for Guidance on Firearms Policies (Texas Tribune)
- Texas Lawmakers Propose School Security Tax Plan (Chron.com)
- Legislators Propose Special Taxing Authority for School Security (Austin Statesman)