New Texas law will allow handgun owners to carry weapons in church

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — It may soon be easier to legally carry handguns into places of worship in Texas.

A new state law borne out of the deadly attack in a Texas church strikes down a provision in current law that says handguns are not allowed in churches, synagogues, or other places of worship. The new law attempts to clear up what one state lawmaker calls “confusion.”

“The purpose of my bill was to give clarity that you can carry in church unless the church says posts a sign that says ‘You May Not Carry” State Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, said Wednesday.

Campbell authored Senate Bill 535 following the attack at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a town of around 650 residents a few dozen miles outside San Antonio.