Texas Passes Bill Allowing Students Carry Guns Concealed in Cars in School Campuses, Perry Expected to Sign into Law

The Upper and Lower House of Chambers of Texas had passed on Sunday a bill that allows students with handgun licenses to carry their guns in school campuses in Texas. However, these must be concealed only in their cars.

Approved by the Senate by 29-3 and the House by 135-8, the bill is now bound for the signature of Governor Rick Perry who is highly expected to formalise and sign the bill into law.

Authored by Republican Senator Glenn Hegar of Katy, lawmakers rushed the bill through the legislative process in April after other lawmakers flatly rejected a wider proposal which suggested that students and faculty members with handgun licenses be allowed to carry pistols inside the classrooms.

At present, it is deemed illegal to bring in weapons in cars on Texas college and university campuses.

Essentially, the passed bill enables students with concealed handgun licenses to bring their firearms to a college and university campus, provided the weapons must be left or stored in their cars in the parking lots. Neither public nor private universities can create a law prohibiting it.

The bill initially faced strong contention from the Democrats. But the Republican group assured the bill, once into law, will not be expanded into something that will legally consent the carrying of guns on campus.

On Friday, the state Senate likewise gave a bipartisan vote of 28 to 3 to a bill that will transform teachers also as "school marshals" entering public schools with loaded guns. Mr Perry is also likewise expected to ratify the bill.

Teachers, however, would first need to undergo "80 hours of training, deep psychological profiles, training in areas of firearms, legal and emergency situations."

However, teachers can't just walk around school hallways and enter classrooms with a gun strapped to their hips as accidents can still occur with fascinated students eager to touch and grab the gun.

The guns would have to be stored "within immediate reach" in a locked gun safe.