Come September 1, Texans will be able to carry swords and other long knives in public.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 1935, which allows any weapon with a blade longer than 5.5 inches to be carried in public. That would allow swords, daggers, machetes, stilettos, long knives – including the Bowie knife – and spears to be carried in public.
However, the blades won’t be allowed in schools, churches, hospitals and establishments that rake in over 51% of their revenue through the sale of alcoholic beverages. Private businesses also have the freedom to prohibit such blades from their premises.
Those under the age of 18 will also be prohibited from carrying blades longer than 5.5 inches if they’re not under parental supervision.
Mike Clark of Collectors Firearms told KHOU that he didn’t think there would be many people carrying those lengthy blades in public.
“They’re cumbersome,” Clark said. “You don’t want to walk around with one of those every day. But if you want to, it’s your right.”
Clark mentioned that most knives are carried for “hunting and fishing” but some are carried for the purpose of self defense.
The author of the bill, Republican Rep. John Frullo, said in May, “It’s not making criminals out of people who have no intention of creating some type of criminal act.”
The legislation was temporarily postponed in May after a stabbing occurred at the University of Texas at Austin that resulted in one student dead and three others wounded. The murderer, a student on campus, was wielding a hunting knife.
More information about the new law can be found below:
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