Galveston County employees have the opportunity to take a Concealed Handgun License (CHL) course for free thanks to Galveston County Judge Mark Henry and a few of the Galveston County Commissioners.

Judge Mark Henry announced that he is personally sponsoring CHL courses for county employees, making Galveston County the first county in the country to offer the services to its employees at no charge.

County Commissioners Ken Clark and Ryan Dennard are also personally sponsoring the event in addition to signing up to participate in the course.

Galveston County’s top elected official, County Judge Mark Henry, is a retired Major from the United States Air Force, a Federal Firearms License holder, a CHL holder and a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. Judge Henry said he wants to encourage employees to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

The course will cover responsible gun ownership and teach participants about concealed carry laws in Texas – a prerequisite in receiving a CHL license in Texas.

Registration opened Monday for the first 60 employees to sign up. Judge Henry said the response has been overwhelming.

“The class was filled within 5 minutes of sending out the email, and we’re still getting calls” Judge Henry said. “We plan to host many more classes, and eventually include employees’ spouses as well.”

The class will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. at the North County Annex in League City and conclude at the Clear Creek Gun Range.