Thoughts On Texas Open Carry

C.J. Grisham of Open Carry Texas has some interesting thoughts on the unlicensed open carry of firearms in Texas.

“Why don’t representatives in Austin support your right to carry a firearm without a license? It isn’t about safety. Consider this:
In 2014, there were 246,326 concealed handgun licenses (CHL) issued. For the purposes of not being accused of inflating numbers, lets assume every one was a renewal, not a new license. At $70 per renewal, that is over $17 million in revenue to the state.

In 2013, there were 242,641 CHLs issued. Again assuming every single one was a renewal, taxing your rights brought the state another nearly $17 million in revenue.

In 2012, there were only 146,367 CHLs issued for a total revenue to the state of over $10 million, again assuming 100% renewals.

In 2011, the number of CHLs issued was 143,725, which taxed Texans to the tune of another $10 million.

In 2010, 102,133 Texans decided to obtain or renew their CHL. This brought the state a little more than $7 million.

In 2009, the state raked in almost $10 million in revenue from 138,768 Texans by taxing away their right to keep and bear arms during the Obama gun grab.

In the past five years, Texans have surrendered their right to keep and bear arms through forced taxation and given the state over $61 million or face jail time for daring to defend themselves without a license. This number is most definitely much higher since within that 5 year period at least 138,000 Texans had to renew, not counting new applications. It also doesn’t account for all the money brought to the state through the courts for charging people exercising their constitutional rights without a permit.

Taxing the 2nd Amendment is big business in Texas. Is it any wonder Republicans don’t want to make the CHL voluntary? It’s not about safety. It’s about revenue.

All figures come from the DPS CHL Reports & Statistics publicly available to anyone.”