Global Courant 2023-05-09 09:06:58
A Texas House committee on Monday proposed a measure that would raise the minimum age for buying semiautomatic rifles in an unexpected shift after nine people were killed in a shooting at a Dallas outlet mall over the weekend.
The Select Committee on Community Safety approved the measure on a 8-5 votes, with two Republicans supporting the Democratic bill. The measure is sponsored by Rep. Tracy King, representing Uvalde, where an 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school last May.
Under the provisions of the bill, the minimum age for purchasing a semi-automatic rifle with a detachable magazine and with a caliber larger than .22 would be raised from 18 to 21 years.
King and Reps. Sam Harless and Justin Holland, the two Republicans who supported the legislation, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday night.
Several states, mostly led by the Democrats, have increased the minimum purchase age for semi-automatic rifles in recent years.
Monday’s vote came two days after suspected gunman Mauricio Garcia, 33, killed eight people, including a 3-year-old boy and his parents, before being killed by a police officer, authorities said.
The measure still has strong chances of passing the House, where Republicans have an 86-64 lead over Democrats. Republicans also control the Senate, 19-12, and the Governor’s House.
Governor Greg Abbott’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.
Abbott, recently criticized for calling victims of an earlier shooting “illegal immigrants,” said in a Fox News interview after the mall shooting, Texas was focused on addressing the “root cause” by targeting mental health.
“There has been a dramatic increase in the amount of anger and violence that is happening in America,” Abbott said. “People want a quick solution. The long-term solution here is to address the mental health issue.”
