Texas Republicans Vote to Raise Age Limit on Buying Guns

Two Texas Republicans joined Democrats to advance a bill that would raise the age limit on purchasing some firearms as the state GOP faces renewed criticism over guns following a mass shooting in a Dallas-suburb that occurred on Saturday.

The Texas House Select Committee on Community Safety voted 8-5 to advance HB 2744, a bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase some semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21, on Monday. GOP Representatives Sam Harless and Justin Holland joined the panel's Democratic members in sending the bill to the House floor where the state legislature will determine if this policy will become law.

A shooting at the Allen Premium Outlets, located about 25 miles north of Dallas, on Saturday reignited debate about gun safety legislation after at least eight people died when 33-year-old Mauricio Garcia opened fire. The vote comes as Texas Republicans, including Governor Greg Abbott, faced scrutiny and anger from what critics describe as inaction on gun violence following the fatal shooting in Allen and other recent shootings.

Democrats have long pushed for more restrictions on purchasing guns, saying lax gun laws are responsible for the high number of shootings across the United States. Republicans, however, generally oppose gun control, saying it would infringe on the constitutional right to own firearms.

HB 2744 was filed by Representative Tracy King—a Democrat whose district includes Uvalde, the site of a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 children and two teachers dead last year. The bill still has to pass both the broader State House and Senate, as well as be signed by Abbott, to become law.

The Texas Tribune reported on Monday that the bill "faces an uphill climb," adding that House Speaker Dade Phelan has said the bill previously lacked enough Republican support to becoming law, and Abbott has also said he believes the restrictions would be unconstitutional.

A spokesperson for Harless told Newsweek that the representative was declining media interviews. The spokesperson wrote: "It is not his intention to capitalize with media coverage on the misery and suffering of those who have lost loved ones in these tragedies for simply voting his heart, his conscience, and his district."

King responded to the bill's advancement in a statement to Newsweek.

"I am overwhelmed," he said. "It is an extremely emotional and moral victory for my constituents and the Uvalde families. I also want to thank the members and Chairman Guillen on this very important committee vote."

Newsweek reached out to Holland and Abbott via email for comment.

Abbott has resisted calls for increased gun control in the state, instead touting efforts to fund mental health services as GOP politicians make the case that mental health, not guns, is the root cause of mass shootings. According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, an organization that tracks shootings across the U.S., there have been at least 17 mass shootings in Texas so far this year.

More information on Monday has emerged about the victims of the shooting in Allen. According to The Dallas Morning News, the victims included 20-year-old Christian LaCour, 27-year-old Aishwarya Thatikonda, and two elementary school students, Daniela and Sofia Mendoza, who were sisters. Additionally, three members of the same family—37-year-old Cho Kyu Song, 35-year-old Kang Shin Young and one of their children—were also killed.

Abbott on Sunday was asked by Fox News host Shannon Bream whether he would consider supporting a slate of gun safety policies supported by wide majorities of Americans, including legislation to increase the minimum age to purchase a gun to 21.

A Fox News poll conducted among registered voters from April 21 to 24 found that 81 percent of voters supported raising the minimum gun purchase age. Abbott did not say whether he agreed with the measure.

Update 5/9/23, 9:05 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.