AUSTIN, Texas. – The Texas chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement in response to the end of the Texas legislative session. So far this year in Texas there have been 21 mass shootings, including three mass shootings in a span of two weeks. Last week marked one-year since the mass shooting in Uvalde at Robb Elementary School.
Throughout the session, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers have called on Texas leaders to reject efforts to weaken the state’s gun laws and find common ground on policies like Raise the Age, which could have prevented the Uvalde shooting, and funding Community Violence Intervention Programs, which save lives and reduce daily gun violence plaguing the state. Instead, Texas lawmakers passed a bill that will arm more teachers, growing their ‘guns everywhere’ agenda.
“While unclear how many more deaths are necessary for Texas lawmakers to protect their own constituents, one thing is for certain – we have and will continue to hold them accountable every step of the way,” said Brynn Beecham, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Students Demand Action. “Young people cannot continue to bear the burden of lawmakers’ inaction – I hope they’re used to us because we’re not going anywhere.”
“Texan lives have been forever marked by the mass shootings that have scarred our state and while there is a direct path towards a safer Texas, our lawmakers are choosing not to take it,” said Liz Hanks, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action. “While we thank the lawmakers with the courage to vote for legislation that will save our children, our voices will continue to ring throughout the state until Texans can feel safe in their communities.”
During the 2023 legislative session, the Texas chapters of Moms Demand Action, and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, called on lawmakers to act on gun safety, repeatedly showing up at the statehouse, holding rallies, and making their voices heard. These calls led to the first committee passage of meaningful common-sense gun reform at the committee level in years when Raise the Age was voted through the House Select Community Safety Committee. Some of the actions volunteers have taken across the state include:
- Students held more than 75 walkouts across the state
- Texas chapter has grown 507% since the new year
- There were more than 300 attendees at Allen “Mother’s Day of Action” Event following the shooting
- More than 8,000 messages were sent to lawmakers
In an average year, 3,996 people die by guns in Texas, and 5,556 more are wounded. Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens in Texas. More information on gun violence in Texas is available here.
If you are interested in speaking with a Texas Moms Demand Action or Students Demand volunteer, or a policy expert please reach out to [email protected].
