Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and Texas Moms Demand Action Run Full-Page ad in Austin American-Statesman Urging Lawmakers to Oppose Permitless Carry Bills
4.28.2017
AUSTIN, Texas – Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown, today announced that they will be running a full-page ad on Sunday in the Austin American-Statesman urging lawmakers to oppose dangerous legislation that would dismantle Texas’ License to Carry (LTC) Permitting System, which requires that a person obtain a license and undergo firearms safety training before they carry a loaded handgun in public places. The full-page newspaper ad can be seen here.
“It is embarrassing that some of our lawmakers are attempting to do away with our current permitting requirements. There’s a reason why a whopping 91 percent of Texans support the License to Carry system – it helps save lives,” said Lisa Epstein, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “These bills are entirely unnecessary and fly in the face of the serious concerns raised by our trusted law enforcement officials. Our LTC system is a crucial tool used by law enforcement to keep our communities safe. If passed and signed into law, these measures would only make it easier for violent criminals to carry hidden, loaded handguns into public spaces we frequent daily with our families. Responsible gun owners in Texas know that the Second Amendment goes hand in hand with public safety. Volunteers with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America will continue to work with allies across our state to raise awareness about the potentially deadly consequences of these proposed laws.”
The full-page ad cites recent polling released by the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America showing that 91 percent of Texas voters – including 90 percent of gun owners and 94 percent of permit holders – support the state’s LTC permit requirement for carrying a handgun in public.
Everytown and the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action also previously released digital ads opposing permitless carry, emphasizing the implications the law would have for public safety. In January, more than 200 volunteers, gun violence survivors and gun owners rallied at the statehouse in opposition to dangerous gun measures like permitless carry.