Gun safety advocates in Texas ask for increased minimum age to purchase guns and more stringent background checks

Austin, Texas. After the recent mass shooting across the country and in Texas, gun safety advocates are demanding changes from state lawmakers.

Starting noon on Feb. 28, state leaders including State Senator Roland Gutierrez, State Senator Sarah Eckhart and State Rep. Vicki Goodwin joined Uvalda survivors and gun safety advocates at a rally at the Texas State Capitol to ask lawmakers to address the epidemic. gun violence.

“We just expect to have a fair and honest conversation this session,” said Nicole Golden, chief executive of Texas Gun Sense. “And that means holding hearings. On some bills last session, when legislators refused to do that… since then, we have seen an escalation of gun violence. This time we will ask for a hearing.”

Some of the bills filed in this session include raising the minimum age for gun purchases from 18 to 21. Gov. Greg Abbott has previously called such bills “unconstitutional,” citing cases passed across the country that blocked similar efforts in other states.

Other bills filed include strengthening background checks on people who want to buy firearms. In addition, there is a push for an “extreme risk protection order”, also known as the “red flag law”. This law will deprive firearms of people who are considered “dangerous”.

Advocates hope that this session will pass some of the proposed bills. Last week, a House Select Committee on Public Safety was set up to scrutinize firearms-related proposals in this legislative session.

“I really hope these conversations are taken seriously,” Golden said. “And this guidance will finally move this law forward. It’s long overdue.”

At Tuesday’s rally, defenders held banners and chanted: “Stop gun violence, more silence.” The parents of the survivors of the shooting at Robb’s elementary school were seen holding signs reading “assault weapons took my godparents” and “stop gun violence”.

Other signs from the crowd read: “TX Lege: who must die before you keep the gun safe,” “I am the gun-feeling majority” in English and Spanish, and “don’t pray just like that.”

After the rally at the South Steps of the Capitol, advocates will speak with lawmakers in their offices to discuss the changes they hope to see.

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