Texas Moms Condemn Senate For Ignoring Texans and Passing Open Carry

Austin, Texas –Today the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America condemned the Senate’s passage of SB 17, a bill that allows for the open carry of handguns in Texas. SB 11, a guns on campus bill that would force public universities to allow students, faculty, staff, and visitors to carry concealed handguns on public college campuses, is tentatively scheduled for a vote tomorrow.

Texas moms, gun violence survivor Richard Martinez, gun owners and college stakeholders came together today to testify against the House companion versions of these bills, HB 937, a guns on campus bill, and HB 910, a bill that allows the open carry of handguns, at a hearing of the Texas House of Representatives Homeland Security and Public Safety.

Despite opposition to the open carry of handguns from over two-thirds of Texans and 75 percent of police chiefs in Texas, Lt. Governor Patrick prioritized both bills this session.

“As a Texas mom and gun owner, I’ve joined police chiefs, military officers, gun violence survivors, teachers, and everyday Texans testifying in opposition to open carry and campus carry, in favor of common sense and responsible gun ownership,” said Angela Turner, volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action. “It’s disturbing to see our lawmakers bowing to gun lobby interests and extremists instead of listening to the majority of their constituents. We urge our Texas House of Representatives to oppose these dangerous bills and truly represent Texas as they have been sworn into office to do.”

“I’m here today because of my son Christopher to oppose forcing colleges to allow guns on campus—because I am committed to working to reduce gun violence so that we can spare other parents the anguish that my family has endured,” said Richard Martinez, father of Christopher Ross Michaels-Martinez, who was shot and killed in Isla Vista. “There is simply no evidence that a bill like HB 937 would stop a mass shooting. Instead, it would make the average day on campus more dangerous. Please do not use tragedies like the one that took Chris to justify passing a dangerous bill like HB 937.”