The Texas gun debate has gone wild, wild west.
Many thought a bill to allow the open carry of handguns would be a slam dunk for the Republican majority in the Legislature. But the opening weeks of the session have seen the issue turned into a tempest.
It began with a videotaped confrontation between gun owners and a state lawmaker who later was given a state security detail. Then a call for installing panic buttons in legislative offices. Guns were also made and displayed at the Capitol gates.
And then open carry's chances of passing were further diminished when one of the state's most outspoken conservatives flip-flopped on whether it's even a priority issue.
The antics have left even some gun rights advocates shaking their heads.
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