The Texas chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement after at least 13 people were shot and wounded in downtown Austin early this morning.
“Our hearts are broken for everyone impacted by this devastating shooting,” said Melanie Greene, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action. “It’s clear that Texas’s gun violence epidemic demands action to combat it, but this session our lawmakers passed permitless carry and other bills that will only make it worse. Instead of trying to fight the gun violence crisis, our elected leaders are throwing fuel on the fire and putting our lives at risk.”
HB 1927, a dangerous permitless carry bill that would strip the state of essential permitting and training standards for carrying handguns in public, is on Governor Abbott’s desk and eligible for his signature or veto. Law enforcement officials joined gun safety instructors to hold a press conference urging lawmakers to oppose permitless carry. Last month, doctors, law enforcement officials, leaders in the fight against domestic violence, and other advocates called on their senators to reject permitless carry, as have the editorial boards of the Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, and San Antonio Express-News.
Poll after poll has shown widespread opposition to permitless carry legislation and support for requiring permits to carry guns in public. Nearly 60 faith leaders and nearly 30 veterans sent separate letters to the legislature announcing their opposition to this dangerous policy. Statistics about gun violence in Texas are available here. If you are interested in speaking with a Texas Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action volunteer, please don’t hesitate to reach out.