Austin State Hospital, the oldest psychiatric hospital in
Texas, has taken down its signs banning guns. The move is in line with the
state’s new firearms law which allows the open carry of guns in state
psychiatric hospitals. Licensed gun owners can now bring their firearms into
all 10 psychiatric hospitals operated by the state of Texas as the result of a
loophole that was not closed when the new law passed last summer, according to
the Austin American-Statesman’s report. Psychiatric institutions are not
subject to the same exemption as general hospitals because they are in a
different section of the state’s health and safety code. Kirk Watson, a Democratic
state senator, said the amendment he proposed to address the loophole was shut
down without a debate. People making deliveries and visitors will be able to
bring guns into psychiatric facilities. Alcohol and tobacco are still banned
from the hospitals’ campuses, however. Employees are still prohibited from
bringing guns to work. Apart from general hospitals, the new law prohibits
firearms in schools, courthouses, prisons, sports events and bars. Private
businesses such as supermarkets and restaurants can choose to opt out, either
by verbally informing customers that guns are unwelcome or by posting signs in
English and Spanish at their entrances.
Mental Health advocates have condemned the law, saying it
could negatively impact patients’ treatments and could lead to an increase in
suicide rates. Greg Hansch, the public policy director of the Texas branch of
the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said his group is opposed to people
bringing guns onto the grounds of state psychiatric hospitals, arguing that “it
fosters fear and will be detrimental to the recovery of persons receiving
treatment.” Hansch added that he is worried that allowing guns in mental
hospitals will make it easier for suicidal people to kill themselves. Of the
roughly 30,000 gun deaths in the US each year, around two-thirds are ruled
suicide, he said.
"While licensed visitors are legally permitted to carry
on our hospital campuses, our patients are being actively treated for
psychiatric conditions, and generally it's best not to expose them to weapons
of any kind," Carrie Williams, spokeswoman for the Department of State
Health Services explained.
The First Baptist Church of Arlington, permits carrying
weapons into its services. “We decided
it was best to allow responsible people to do this if they choose,” Senior
Pastor Dennis Wiles told the Wall Street Journal. “We will probably assess the
situation in a couple of months to see how it goes. When it comes to a church,
I don’t think we’re going to see that much difference.”
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