Poll: 76% of Texas voters support raising gun purchase age

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Three out of four voters in Texas support the idea of ​​enacting tougher gun control measures that raise the age requirement to buy weapons in the state. New poll released Wednesday.

pollster Texas Political Projectt asked 1,254 registered voters about several bills under consideration during this legislative session. That included how he felt about the possibility of raising the legal age to buy a firearm from 18 to his 21. % said they were “somewhat supportive”. Combined, these figures put him above 20% of voters who opposed the proposal (9% somewhat opposed, 11% strongly opposed).

The idea recently gained traction due to advocacy from families who lost loved ones in the fatal shooting last year at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. The gunman used his AR-15 to murder 19 of his students and her two teachers.Parents of murdered children to Texas legislators Approve a bill that would allow only those over the age of 21 to purchase semi-automatic weapons, like the gun used in the Uvalde Massacre. They argue that such a law would have prevented his 18-year-old gunman from carrying out the deadliest school shooting in the state.

A House committee took up the bill at a public hearing in April. Families of Uvalde’s victims waited hours to testify in support of it. At this session, bills must pass the commission by May 8 to have a chance of being enacted.

The proposal has already faced an uphill battle in the Republican-dominated Congress, with moves in previous Congresses to ease gun control after the shootings. In February nextstar interviewHouse Speaker Dade Phelan reiterated that he does not believe his Congress has the vote to support an age limit on firearms.

A majority of both Democratic and Republican voters in the state support raising the age to buy guns, according to the results of the latest Texas Political Project poll, conducted April 13-24. Of those respondents who said they were Democrats, 86% supported the idea and 5% opposed it.

Meanwhile, a poll found that 64% of Republican voters support the gun control proposal. But among those conservative voters, a total of 31% disagreed, with 5% saying they had no opinion.

Polls also asked Texas voters about their feelings about the so-called “Red Flag Act.” This allows courts to require the temporary surrender of firearms in their possession to anyone determined to be a danger to themselves or others. A poll put his total support for the proposal at 72%. However, 18% expressed opposition.

Who was responsible for the school shooting?

Following last year’s deadly Uvalde shooting, an analysis said: Five of the 10 worst mass shootings in US history happened in Texas — 3 of them in the last 5 years. The Texas Politics Project asked voters in an April poll: What did they feel was the cause of the school shooting? especially.

The poll found that “poor gun control” was the most common of all factors, with 24% of voters responding. These responses were followed by 11% of responses each: “Insufficient mental health resources for students”, “Inadequate enforcement of existing gun control laws”, and “Inadequate parenting”. ”.

A news release sharing the results of the April poll said, “In total, more than one in three Texans report either inadequate gun control or poor enforcement of existing laws against school guns.” It is cited as the main cause of mass shooting incidents.

Opinions on Access to Abortion

Opinion polls also gained momentum How important Texas voters felt the legislature could expand legal access to abortion servicesAs a result, 46% said it was very important (32%) or very important (14%) to increase access to abortion in their state, and 37% said it was not very important or not at all. answered that it is not important.

A news release from the Texas Political Project said, “Neither Republicans nor Democrats are on the same page, but the party splits have been particularly sharp.” Thought it was very important (59%) or very important (19%) to Congress, only 8% thought it was less important or not at all important. 18% of women think expanding access to abortion is extremely or very important, and 67% say it is less important (13%) or less important (54%) .”

of Supreme Court Overturns Roe v. Wade Last year, it removed the constitutional right to abortion for those near 50, giving states the power to drastically limit or ban the procedure. for that reason, Texas “Trigger Law” It came into force in August last year. The law effectively prohibited all abortions except in limited circumstances such as “the mother’s life-threatening condition due to pregnancy.” Abortion carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a fine of at least $100,000 per violation.