暗黑爆料

and another 20 were injured in a mass shooting that stretched in and around Midland and Odessa, Texas, Saturday. The incident was the second mass shooting in that state in less than a month, following

But less than 24 hours later, a series of new gun laws, passed in late May and early June by the Texas legislature, went into effect.

The laws were designed to ease restrictions on guns, allowing them to be carried in places of worship, during disasters and in rented and leased property.

The Law In Texas

Here鈥檚 a quick rundown of the eight new laws that went into effect on Sept. 1 in Texas:

• : allows Texans to carry guns in churches, synagogues and other places of worship, unless otherwise banned by those places with proper signage.
• : prohibits property owners鈥� associations from banning storage of guns on rental properties.
• : provides a legal defense for licensed handgun owners who unknowingly enter an establishment that bans firearms as long as they leave when asked.
• : prohibits landlords from banning renters and their guests from carrying firearms in lease agreements.
• : loosens restrictions on the number of who can carry guns at public and private schools in Texas.
• : allows Texans to carry handguns without a license during a state of disaster.
• : prohibits school districts from banning licensed gun owners from storing guns and ammunition in their vehicles in parking lots.
• : allows certain foster homes to store guns and ammunition in a locked location.

Estimates of Texas gun ownership range from to of the population, which is above the .

More than 1.2 million Texans

The state that restrict the possession of so-called 鈥渁ssault鈥� weapons or large-capacity magazines, though buyers are required to be 18 or older to buy a rifle.

Texas also doesn鈥檛 require gun owners to obtain a license or register their firearms. Law enforcement in the state does not have any discretion to deny a concealed carry permit.

In addition, if a Texas gun purchaser already has a concealed carry permit, . Like many other states, Texas does not require a background check for private sales or sales at gun shows.

Research has generally shown that states with higher levels of gun ownership experience and

Texas currently in terms of firearm mortality according to the CDC.

In addition, recent research from Columbia University finds states with more permissive gun laws experience higher numbers of .

According to Axios, Texas has been home to in history, including the 2017 shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

Across The Country

While Congress has largely refrained from passing any new federal gun laws, . And so over the past decade, there is an emerging difference between states with more permissive gun laws and states with tougher, more restrictive ones.

Both Texas and Ohio, , have than other U.S. States

The House has scheduled a Wednesday to markup several new gun bills. Among them is a federal that would provide incentives for states to adopt laws allowing the temporary removal of guns from individuals who present a danger to themselves or others. The Senate is also expected to work on of such a bill when it returns on Monday, Sept. 9.

A new poll shows that more than 70% of Americans support the enactment of so-called 鈥渞ed flag鈥� laws, including 60% of gun owners.

is a public media reporting project on the role of guns in American life.

Copyright 2020 Guns and America. To see more, visit .