Overview

• Parents of children killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting urged Texas legislators to pass new gun restrictions at a hearing, the first time lawmakers have considered such proposals since the massacre.
• Republicans in control of the Texas legislature have stalled gun law reform efforts despite the May 2022 shooting that left 21 dead.
• The debate centered around a proposal to raise the minimum age to purchase assault rifles from 18 to 21, which Gov. Greg Abbott opposes.
• While Democrats have proposed numerous bills tightening gun laws, Republicans have focused on increasing mental health and school security funding instead.
• The hearing came as a gunman in Tennessee killed three children and three adults at an elementary school, renewing calls for action on gun violence nationwide.