Authorities worry new Texas gun law will increase violence

By JUAN A. LOZANO
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Texas’ new law allowing most people to carry handguns in public without a permit or training came in part from the belief by many Texans that the best way to prevent crime and stop an armed bad guy is to make sure an armed good guy is nearby. Gov. Greg Abbott and his Republican allies in the Legislature who this summer made Texas the largest state with a so-called permitless carry law pitched it as a way to let people more easily defend themselves without government interference. But research suggests crime actually rises after such laws are implemented. And Texas authorities worry that having more people walking around armed will lead to more petty disagreements being settled through gunfire.