AUSTIN, Texas — Protestors marched to the steps of the state capitol Tuesday afternoon in an effort to spur lawmakers to action on gun legislation.
With chants of "Don't be silent, end gun violence," the protestors marched to a podium where Texas Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, Sen. Roland Gutierrez and others outlined new legislation to address gun safety.
The speakers simultaneously attacked Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for inaction while also calling for lawmakers to support what they called "the bare minimum" to reduce gun violence.
"Our children know what's happening here. Our children know how this building and the people in it are failing them, " Eckhardt said, referencing the capitol. "We need to do our job in this building."
On Monday, Texas Senate Democrats filed a new gun safety omnibus bill with SB 1274. If passed, it would:
- Raise the age to buy or possess an assault weapon to 21.
- Require universal background checks by requiring a citizen to sell or transfer a firearm to a "licensed firearms dealer" before it goes to the new owner so a background check could take place.
- Require a person purchasing a firearm to wait three business days before receiving their weapon.
- Create a judicial process where judges could remove guns from people who are believed to be a danger to themselves or others.
Additionally, more than two pages of the bill are used providing a definition for the term "assault weapon," which currently is not an actual legal term in Texas.
Lawmaker repeatedly called on the governor and Republican lawmakers for action.
"We are here to tell this governor, beg this governor, to do something. Do something to avoid the killing of our children. Do something to make it harder for an 18-year-old to access an AR-15 just as easy as he can access a Slurpee at 7-Eleven," Gutierrez said. "Santa Fe happened and he did nothing."
At the same time, Gutierrez claimed that "75% of Republican voters are in agreement that we should have what the Democrats are supporting and what these people are supporting."
The senator's staff said the figures came from this survey on gun safety trends by the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University.
The survey of 2,140 respondents shows Republican voters' support ranges between 74% and 52%, depending on which of the the above issues are specifically being referenced.
Speakers said the march included 21 families representing victims at Robb Elementary School and Santa Fe High School. Activists with the Community Justice Action Fund, Moms Demand Action and Texas Gun Sense also took part.