Those for and against gun control are digging in for a battle over two bills pending before the Texas Legislature, S.B. 534 and H.B. 992, which will provide new rights for employees to bring licensed handguns onto their employers’ premises. Prior to recent incidents at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and NASA’s Johnson Space Center, both bills were thought almost certain to pass the Legislature and be signed by the governor. Now, the bills’ fate is less clear as many lawmakers are having second thoughts about the prospect of more readily accessible guns in the workplace.
When the Legislature authorized citizens to carry concealed handguns in Texas in the mid-1990s, most employers quickly responded by posting signs prohibiting weapons from being carried onto their properties. As a consequence, most employees are prohibited from bringing guns to work, even if the guns remain safely locked in employees’ vehicles.
