Houston & Texas News
May 8, 2008, 12:29AM
Texas caught off guard as more seek handgun permits
Some point to anti-gun politics as applications rise 39 percent and swamp
the state
By JANET ELLIOTT
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5762984.html
RESOURCES
ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK
During the week that ended Friday, DPS said, it processed 1,043 original
and
renewal applications but received 1,871 requests.
AUSTIN - Demand for concealed handgun licenses has risen nearly 40 percent
in Texas in a year, an increase being attributed to many factors, even
presidential politics.
Though the exact cause may be unclear, what's certain is that the spike in
applications has caught the Department of Public Safety unprepared.
The state is taking a month longer than the 60 days allowed by law to
process original applications and 80 days longer on renewals, which are
supposed to be handled within 45 days.
"We're trying really hard, but there have been delays because of the
tremendous increase in applications," said Tela Mange, a DPS spokeswoman.
She said the department is paying overtime and hiring tem****ary workers to
reduce the backlog. Mange said she doesn't know why applications last
month
were 39 percent higher than they were in April 2007.
But Ross Bransford, who trains 1,000 Texans a year to qualify for a
concealed handgun license, said he believes the looming 2008 election is a
big factor.
"People are not sure what's going to happen after the election," said
Bransford, who owns Austin-based CHL-Texas.com. "Both Democratic
candidates
are anti-gun in one fa****on or another."
He said Sen. Barack Obama, who is leading the race for the nomination, is
a
"friend of (Democratic Senator) Ted Kennedy, and that scares everybody to
death."
Other instructors mentioned an increased interest from young adults after
last year's Virginia Tech massacre and recent changes in Texas
law about carrying concealed weapons.
In 2007, lawmakers granted privacy to the 258,000 license holders by
closing
records that had been public since the concealed handgun law passed in
1995.
They also extended the so-called "castle doctrine" defense to persons who
use a gun to protect their vehicles, in addition to their homes.
45 minutes on hold
Alice Tripp, legislative director for the Texas State Rifle Association,
the
state affiliate of the National Rifle Association, said she hears daily
from
frustrated members about the delay in getting licenses.
She said some have been put on hold for 45 minutes when they called DPS to
inquire about their licenses.
"They are really quite alarmed and annoyed," Tripp said. "They sat on
hold,
and had gotten no answers."
Last month, she took her group's concerns to a meeting with DPS officials,
Gov. Rick Perry's legislative director Ken Armbrister and House Law
Enforcement Chairman Joe Driver.
Driver, R-Garland, is demanding weekly re****ts from DPS on license
applications. During the week that ended Friday, DPS said it processed
1,043
original and renewal applications but received 1,871 requests.
"I was very surprised at how far behind they are," Tripp said.
Renewal every 5 years
She said she can't understand why it is taking so long for renewals,
because
people with handgun licenses are continually checked against criminal
databases and other records. Licenses must be renewed every five years.
"If you find yourself subject to a protective order, someone will knock on
your door and take your license," she said.
Mange urged license applicants to use the DPS Web site to enter basic
information required on the permit. Tripp said her members who have used
the
Web site tell her it does not speed the process.
Tripp said there is no grace period for expired handgun licenses.
Everyone seeking a license, and certain renewals, must take cl***** that
cover safety, state law and conflict resolution. They must submit
fingerprints, which DPS sends to the FBI for a background check, and a
photo. They must carry their license when they carry a concealed handgun.
There are some restrictions as to where concealed handguns can be carried
in
Texas.
Applicant's suspicions
Ron Freeman, a CPA who lives in Wimberley, said he was asked twice to redo
fingerprints that were taken at a local constable's office.
He finally agreed to DPS' suggestion that he use an electronic fingerprint
device run by a private company.
"I have a feeling that the Department of Public Safety is using the
process
as a filter to keep people from even having a gun," said Freeman, 60, who
moved to Texas from Arizona last year.
Marsha McCartney, who represents the North Texas Brady Campaign to Prevent
Gun Violence, said she was surprised to learn that so many more Texans are
applying to carry guns.
However, McCartney said she is more concerned about an expected battle in
the next legislative session over whether the law should be changed to
allow
college students to carry guns on campus.
janet.elliott@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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