Not to steal the liberal talking points, but this seems like fairly common sense legislation.

The Texas Senate yesterday evening passed SB 1408, a bill to allow first responders to conceal carry. This bill must be passed in the Texas House next.

To become any form of first responder in Texas, an individual has to go through a fairly rigorous program, which includes a thorough background check.

In addition, SB 1408, brought by Senator Don Huffines (R-Dallas), requires the following:

In order to carry a handgun on duty, a first responder will be required to have a License to Carry (LTC) and must complete a special on-duty first responder training course that will be approved by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

First responders are often responding to knife wounds, gunshot wounds, basic battery and abuse at the hands of the perpetrator. It is not irrational to think that, should they choose to, they can conceal carry into a potentially hostile environment. In fact, it’s almost a miscarriage of justice to allow these individuals, who are trained to save lives, to enter into a hostile situation without having the option to defend themselves if the perpetrator may still be present.

Senator Huffines noted:

First-responders sometimes arrive on crime scenes even before police do and could be in danger if the situation is not yet contained… Paramedics, firefighters and others should be allowed to protect themselves if necessary.

We trust these individuals to save lives after going through rigorous training. It only makes sense for them to be able to carry a form of defense into a situation when they are there to save a life while potentially risking their own life.

If you feel that this legislation should continue and pass through the Texas House, please contact your representative and voice your support for this measure.