The Texas House on Thursday gave initial approval to a bill that would allow Texans to carry handguns without a permit or training. After hours of debate, House Bill 1927, led by Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler.), passed 84–56 largely along party lines, in a blow to Democrats who have long railed against loosening gun laws after the 2019 mass shooting at an El Paso Walmart. Texas has more than 1.6 million licensed handgun owners. But scrapping that required permit has been a long-sought goal of conservative activists in the Lone Star State. If approved, Texas would become the largest of some 20 states that already allow handguns to be carried in public without a permit. “It’s time to restore faith in law-abiding Texans,” Schaefer said on the House floor. “This bill should be called common-sense carry.” The Republican lawmaker argued that obtaining a permit is both time-consuming and costly—roughly between $100 …