AUSTIN – Today, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick congratulated Senator Craig Estes and supporting senators for the final passage of Senate Bill 17 (SB 17) with a vote of 20 – 10.

SB 17 proposes the following:

• Relating to the authority of a person who is licensed to carry a handgun to openly carry a holstered handgun; creating a criminal offense; providing penalties.

“In the history of the Texas Senate, this is the first time an open carry bill has made it out of committee and onto the Senate floor. I am very proud of the fact that today, we made Texas history.

“We’ve worked tirelessly on the issues that are most important to Texans. I applaud the good work our senators have put forth on making sure our Second Amendment Rights are protected, never ignored and properly enforced.

“The passage of (SB 17 – Estes) demonstrates that the Texas Senate is focusing on our citizens’ priorities and our right to freedom,” concluded Patrick.