The big news this week is of course that Texas state representatives gave their final approval to the bill that would allow the open carry of handguns throughout the state. This would make Dallas and Houston the largest metropolitan areas to allow open carry. That fact could set a precedent across the country and encourage other states to try open carry. The Senate and the House did pass separate bills, so the differences will have to be resolved. But Texans can officially look forward to an open carry state.

Tennessee passed a law this week that would allow gun carriers to take their firearms to parks, playgrounds, and sports fields. Governor Bill Haslam signed this bill into law despite very present and very vocal opposition from Moms Demand Action. This is a common sense law; if you can carry in public, you should be able to carry to any public place. There is, by the way, an exception for schools, as Tennessee gun owners will not be permitted within an immediate vicinity of schools. This story shows us how MDA is losing influence, which is really better for everyone.

We normally don’t have much news out of Idaho, and we probably won’t until there’s a French fry shortage. However, a rare exception this week, as the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance is pushing letters to 50 municipalities to inform the Idaho cities that they have violated the 2008 state law that prohibits cities and counties from enacting any new firearms ordinances. Of the 50 municipalities on notice by the alliance, 23 have already amended ordinances to make sure they are now compliant. This is the kind of action that gets stuff done, and we applaud the Idaho branch of the Second Amendment Alliance for their diligence.

The number of license to carry gun permits issued in Massachusetts spiked last year. The state is tightening its already strict gun laws this year, and the 5 percent increase in the number of licenses is evidence that people don’t like having their rights taken away. If everyone were ok with the government controlling their guns, they wouldn’t have hurried to get gun licenses before the tightening of the laws. Massachusetts will now have the toughest gun laws in the country, if it didn’t already.