A move to give lawmakers the right to carry handguns anywhere they wish sparked an angry debate in the Texas House of Representatives between Republican lawmakers.
The shouting match erupted Thursday over whether lawmakers should give themselves special privileges not available to all Texans.
The original draft law only gave special privileges to criminal prosecuting attorneys and judges, adding them to a list of officials allowed to carry concealed handguns anywhere in the state. Regular concealed handgun license holders cannot take their guns into hospitals, churches, bars or private property that bans them. The Texas Senate added lawmakers to those exempted from the restrictions.
Conservative Republicans became enraged, saying lawmakers should not give themselves special privileges. They said the Legislature should drop the restrictions for all license holders.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.