Abbott Rebuffs Calls For Raising Assault Weapon Purchase Age To 21

Topline

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Wednesday effectively shot down calls from officials in Uvalde and other localities for a special legislative session to raise the minimum age to buy an assault-style weapon in the state from 18 to 21, claiming any such law would be tossed out by the courts.

Key Facts

Abbott said at a campaign event in Allen, a Dallas suburb, that a series of court rulings have shown raising the age would be “unconstitutional.”

A Trump-appointed federal judge ruled last week that a state law barring 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying handguns is not permitted by the Second Amendment.

Uvalde county commissioners and the Uvalde school board have both formally asked for a special session to raise the age to buy assault-style weapons following the May 24 massacre that left 19 children and two teachers dead at Robb Elementary School.

The governor has the sole power to call special legislative sessions in Texas—the next regular session will begin in January.

Chief Critic

Chris Evans, a spokesman for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, slammed Abbott’s comments in a statement as a rejection of what “the overwhelming majority of Texans want.” A Dallas Morning News/University of Texas at Tyler survey of more than 1,300 registered voters earlier this month suggested 75% of Texans support raising the minimum age to buy an assault weapon from 18 to 21, including 72% of Republicans. Some 66% of respondents said they support Abbott calling a special session, including 60% of Republicans.

Key Background

Abbott and other Texas Republican officials initially appeared open to some new gun control measures after the massacre, but they’ve largely backed down since, even as gun control has become a hot-button issue in the gubernatorial campaign. The hardline conservative base of the Texas GOP loudly voiced its feelings on gun control at the state Republican Party convention in June, drowning out a speech from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in boos. Cornyn was the lead Republican negotiator on a bipartisan gun control bill that President Joe Biden signed into law on June 25, which marked the most significant federal action on gun control in decades. The bill created a new federal program encouraging states to create red-flag laws, enhanced background checks for gun buyers younger than 21 and closed the “boyfriend” loophole, which let non-spousal domestic abusers keep owning firearms. Many gun control advocates decried the bill for not taking stronger steps, and Biden has continued voicing support for reinstating a nationwide assault weapons ban.

Tangent

Hundreds of protesters, including some parents of school shooting victims, gathered outside the Texas Capitol on Saturday to demand a special session.

Further Reading

Abbott claims raising the age to buy an assault-style rifle is “unconstitutional” based on recent court rulings (Texas Tribune)

Cornyn Drowned Out By Boos At Texas GOP Convention For Negotiating On Gun Control (Forbes)

Biden Signs Gun Control Bill Into Law: ‘Lives Will Be Saved’ (Forbes)