TexasCHLforum.com

That notice to the local sheriff would be news to me. If the sheriff has any information on an applicant, that information should show up on background checks and fingerprint checks that are done as part of the process.
I know that in some states the local chief law enforcement officer has the authority to sign off on an application or not, but Texas specifically rejected such local control over what the legislature decided it would be a state process.

The process is tremendously more automated and computerized now than it was years ago. People don't have to visually examine fingerprint cards, the electronic fingerprint machine automatically tells you whether a print is acceptable or not. People don't have to manually handle stacks of handwritten paperwork, it's e-applications now.
Even though there are more applicants, the process should have speeded everything up so much that the system can handle the extra work.