By: José Niño
On May 8, 2023, Texas elected officials passed a bill that would raise the age limit for buying so-called “assault weapons.” House Bill 2744 would increase the minimum age required to buy semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21.
Because the full Texas House did not vote on this legislation by May 11, it currently has no chance of becoming law.
The House Select Committee on Community Safety initially voted in favor of HB 2744 by an 8 to 5 margin. Surprisingly, two Republican state representatives, Sam Harless and Justin Holland, voted with Democrats.
During an interview with The Texas Newsroom, Rep. Harless (R-TX) declared that elected officials were in the right by voting in favor of this bill.
“All of our kids have a right to go to school and they have the right to feel safe and so do their parents. The shootings right now are just happening too often,” Harless stated. “So, if this is something we can do to stop it, then I’m all for it.”
Due to Republican domination of the Texas state legislature, such legislation will have a tough time passing. Hence, the death of HB 2744. Nevertheless, Gun Control Inc. scored a moral victory by having a house committee passing such legislation.
Gun controllers are playing the long game here. They understand that Texas is a staunchly pro-gun state. Over the past decade, the state has passed open carry, campus carry, and constitutional carry laws, all which have propelled the Lone Star State to the top of the pro-gun state list. According to Guns & Ammo magazine’s best states for gun owners’ rankings, Texas finds itself in an excellent 8th place.
Passing gun control will be no easy task here. However, that does not deter gun controllers from pursuing their anti-freedom agenda. These people are relentless, and they work diligently to undermine the Second Amendment no matter the political circumstances. As a result, gun owners must always remain vigilant and pay attention to the ways these anti-freedom forces work to destroy our rights.
In a similar vein, gun owners must be ready to take Republicans to task for their political misbehavior. The likes of Reps. Sam Harless and Justin Holland must receive credible primary opponents so that they learn that there’s a price to pay for betraying their pro-gun constituents.
To preserve our Second Amendment freedoms, strong political action must be taken against those who transgress on our rights.
José Niño is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. Contact him via Facebook, Twitter, or email him at [email protected]. Get his e-book, The 10 Myths of Gun Control, here.