On Wednesday, Sept. 1, the State of Texas rolled out new state laws impacting the right to carry a handgun without training or permits, along with laws on alcohol sales, medical marijuana, vaccine passports, critical race theory and the Heartbeat Bill.

Handgun Law

House Bill 1927, authored by State Rep. Matt Schafer, R-Tyler, was signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in June and dispels the need for Texans aged 21 and up to have a license to carry handguns, except for those not allowed to carry a firearm based on state or federal law. Under the new law, background checks will still be required to purchase a firearm. Those who are prohibited to own a handgun (convicted felons or those convicted of assaults offenses) are still not allowed to own or carry a gun. Gun laws in schools and theatres are still in effect, and guns are not allowed in those places. Business owners and private property owners still have the option to exclude handguns on their property. The new law basically removes the training requirement associated with obtaining a license to carry. Before the passing of House Bill 1927, Texans have been required to have a license to carry handguns openly or concealed.

Vaccine Passports

Vaccine passports are now outlawed in the State of Texas after Gov. Abbott signed Senate Bill 968. Businesses that require customers to prove they have been vaccinated could potentially lose their operating licenses and permits or other state contracts. Gov. Abbott also issues a similar order in April banning organizations, political subdivisions and state agencies from receiving taxpayer funds to create vaccine passports to receive services. However, businesses can still continue with COVID-19 screening and infection control measures.

Alcohol Sales

During the coronavirus epidemic in 2020, Gov. Abbott passed down orders to allow alcohol (beer, wine and mixed drinks) to be sold on a to-go basis from restaurants and other permitted places. The order was to help support restaurants who had to close their dining areas. The waiver to allow the sale of alcoholic drinks stemmed from Abbott’s order on March 18, 2020. The waiver was turned into law and now Texans can continue to purchase alcoholic beverages to go. The law also allows permitted businesses and stores to begin to sell beer and wine at 10 a.m. on Sunday instead of noon on Sunday.

Medical Marijuana

The State of Texas is now allowing a higher percentage of THC found in medical marijuana to be used along with allowing persons with types or stages of cancer, PTSD, or those participating in research initiatives to participate in medical marijuana use. The expansion of the program increases the THC percentage of medical marijuana to .5% to 1%. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the active ingredient in marijuana that causes a person to feel “high.” The medical marijuana can be used in the form of smoking, swallowing pills or edibles or oil. Vaping is not allowed under the law. Smoking will not be permitted for people to whom the program applies.

Critical Race Theory

Critical race theory applies to the study of curriculum in public school and restricts how current events and America’s history of racism can be taught in Texas schools.

Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, authored the bill, stating that he wrote the bill to help children not feel guilty about complex subjects, such as slavery and racism. However, United States Senator Ted Cruz have called critical race theory racist itself, noting that it centralizes history on racial conflict. The bill also bans teachers from requiring, making part of a course or awarding student credit for political activism, or contacting members of the legislative or executive branch to take specific actions by direct or indirect communication.

The bill states, “A teacher who chooses to discuss a topic, shall to the best of the teacher’s ability, strive to explore the topic from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective.”

The Heartbeat Bill

A new bill in Texas bans abortions for women in Texas after six weeks of pregnancy. At six weeks of pregnancy, a heartbeat can be detected. Currently, state law permits abortions up to the 20 ^th week of pregnancy.

Senate Bill 8 was authored by Sen. Bryan Hughes R-Mineola and first passed in Senate on March 30 and then sent to the House the next day. The bill also allows citizens to sue doctors who perform an abortion and to possibly be awarded no less than $10,000 in statutory damages.

On Monday, Aug. 30, Texas abortion providers made pleas to the United States Supreme Court to overturn the state’s new abortion restrictions. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied a request to block a bill and canceled a hearing scheduled for Monday, where at least 20 abortion providers attempted to testify against the new laws.