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Guns may be making their way into the hands of cartel members and violence may be increasing on the Texas-Mexico border, but that is not stopping Texas lawmakers from keeping guns accessible.  

A major gun bills is making its way through the Texas statehouse, which, in the midst of growing concern over the border, raises the question of “why now?”

Texas lawmakers continue to consider a bill that would expand the right of gun owners to open carry.

While Texas residents have been able to get licenses to carry concealed handguns in most places since 1995, many gun-rights advocates are lobbying for more lenient gun laws.

"It's shocking that Texas, with its history of rugged individualism that the state symbolizes, doesn't allow open carry," said John Pierce, a co-founder of and spokesman for www.OpenCarry.org.

 If the Legislature doesn't approve an open-carry bill when it convenes in January, "then we'll see them in 2013," Pierce said, referring to that session of the Legislature.

Texas remains one of seven states without an open-carry law.

While lawmakers consider an open carry proposal, state lobbyists and visitors to the capitol can already bring a gun if they so choose.

According to state law, residents of Texas can carry rifles and shotguns into the Capitol as long as they do not brandish them in a threatening manner. Anyone with a handgun license can do the same after having the permit verified at the Capitol door.

The attraction of the permits for lobbyists is they don't have to stand in long lines has led to boom for the gun industry as they sell permits to higher-paying clientele.

This follows a raid last week that police in Texas say is one of the largest weapons shipments found in recent years

The haul, in Laredo on the US-Mexico border, included assault rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

The seizure comes two weeks after Mexican President Felipe Calderon urged US lawmakers to help stem the flow of weapons to Mexico.

Drug-related violence in Mexico has left some 23,000 people dead since President Calderon came to office in December 2006 and launched a crackdown on drug gangs.