AUSTIN, Texas — Texas lawmakers have been vocal this week about taking action on some gun reform legislation.
- Gov. Abbott will host several round tables
- Democrats are pushing for a special session
- Nothing to keep people from lying in gun paperwork
On Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced he'll be holding a series of round tables this month to discuss legislative proposals to address gun violence.
Some Democrats are pushing him to call a special session to tackle it now, but as lawmakers are poised to revisit gun issues, Texans are interested in learning the basics tenets in Texas gun laws as it stands now.
Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works, says that his phone has been ringing off the hook since Sunday.
"People are concerned about their personal safety," said Carghill.
He says less than a week after 31 people were gunned down in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, he's seen more people interested to know what exactly their rights are when it comes to purchasing firearms in the state. Currently, of-age Texans — 18 to buy a rifle and 21 to buy a handgun — can walk into any licensed gun shop and fill out paperwork in order to purchase a weapon.
The paperwork asks questions about race, citizenship and criminal history. The information is put into a computer system, and within minutes will tell a customer whether or not they're permitted to buy a weapon or not. If you're approved, you can leave with a gun on the spot. But Carghill says there is no consequence for lying on paperwork.
That's a cause for concern for many state lawmakers. Before the number of people killed in El Paso was even fully known, Representative Cesar Blanco spoke out on strengthening gun laws.
"Everything's on the table. We owe it to the 20 lives that were lost here. We owe it to the, I think nine lives that were lost in Dayton, and Sutherland and Parkland and Santa Fe," said Blanco.
Texas also doesn't require background checks for private sales, or limit the purchase of multiple firearms or large capacity ammunition magazines. After this past weekend's mass shootings, Cargill says for the first time ever, he sees change in Texas gun laws on the horizon.
"If you were to ask me this two years ago, I would have told you absolutely not. Today, I can see this happening. I can see the federal government banning rifles, AR 15's, AK 47's and then telling the people they have to destroy them or turn them in," said Carghill.
In Texas, you don't need a permit to own a weapon, and guns are not required to be registered.
But in order to carry a handgun in public, you have to go through the licensing process, which includes submitting fingerprints and completing four to six hours of training. Licensed Texans can also openly carry handguns in certain places, as long as those weapons are in a hip or shoulder holster.
Texas does not require a license to openly carry a rifle in public.