A firearm bill that was supported by Texas Senator Joan Huffman appeared dead after last Saturday. Senate Bill 23 may have some life as it gets tacked onto another bill.
Senate Bill 23 was expected to raise the minimum term limit for people who commit a crime using a firearm.
Now House Bill 4843 takes part of Senate Bill 23 and passed the House on Tuesday, May 24.
The bill raises the penalty for unlawful possession of a fireman by a person who is convicted of a felony. The punishment goes from a minimum of 10 years to 20 years and includes part of Senate Bill 23.
Huffman said:
“This bill would allow Texas to take a stand against the illegal use of firearms in the commission of certain violent offenses, and I’d like to thank the lieutenant governor for making this a priority.”
“Mandatory sentences act as a potential deterrent for anyone considering illegally using a firearm and are a tool for prosecutors to keep violent criminals off the street.”
Huffman said her bill was in response to the increase in gun crimes.
In 2021, Texas sold 1.6 million guns. Since 2012, Texans purchased over 1 million guns per year.
But on top of this, 47,000 guns are stolen each year in Texas according to Silvia Villarreal director of the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University. He added many private gun sales do not require background checks.
The gun bill comes almost a year later after the Uvalde shooting that occurred on May 24, 2022, where two teachers and19 students were killed by a lone gunman.
With about a week before the end of the Texas session, this gun law may not get passed through the Texas Senate. Top legislative leaders said the bill may not have the support required to pass.
Do you think this new gun bill is needed?
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