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House Approves Force-Against-Intruders Bill

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Mar 20, 2007 1:57 pm US/Central

House Approves Force-Against-Intruders Bill

AUSTIN (CBS 11 News) ― The state House today approved legislation to give Texans a stronger legal right to defend themselves with force against intruders.

The House voted 133-to-13 to send the bill to Gov. Rick Perry for his signature.

The Senate approved the bill last week.

The self-defense bill -- backed by the National Rifle Association -- is based on a common-law principle called the "Castle Doctrine."

Officials say the concept is that a man's home is his castle and he has the right to defend it.

Sen. Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio says his bill would create a legal presumption that an intruder intends to cause death or great bodily harm. That would mean that victims have the right to use deadly force.

Wentworth says current law in some instances imposes a duty to retreat before using potentially deadly force on an intruder.

(© 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

© MMIX, CBS Stations Group of Texas L.P. All Rights Reserved.