Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in an opinion, says licensed carryers of firearms in Texas can bring their guns into churches, unless the church, which is private property, has posted a notice under the law that firearms are not allowed, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Paxton was asked to provide an opinion following the shooting at the Sutherland Springs Baptist Church in November that left 26 people dead.
“Unless a church provides effective oral or written notice prohibiting the carrying of handguns on its property, a license holder may carry a handgun onto the premises of church property as the law allows,” Paxton said in his opinion, which was requested by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Paxton also said if congregations want to set up a 'volunteer security team' to protect the parishioners, that church is exempt from paying the Private Security fees, which were included in new gun laws approved by the 2017 session of the Legislature.
The so called 30.06 and 30.07 signs, which are named for the part of the statute which covers carrying guns onto private property, must be in English and Spanish, and must specifically state that people with legally carried handguns cannot bring the weapons onto the specified premises.