We know that creating stronger vetting requirements to purchase semi-automatic rifles is a necessary step for making Texas safer. We cannot ignore the fact that nearly every mass shooting is carried out with a semi-automatic rifle, and many are perpetrated by people under the age of 21. We stand with Uvalde in urging legislators to create a stronger vetting process.

Texas should join other states that have adopted an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law, allowing civil court judges to temporarily remove firearms from individuals threatening to harm themselves or others. This constitutional process saves lives and helps people in crisis access support. This could have prevented the 2019 mass shooting in El Paso.

The state should invest in community violence prevention by creating a statewide office of violence prevention and supporting local community violence intervention programs. These proven efforts target resources to individuals who are at the greatest risk of gunshot victimization — reducing gun violence and deaths.

Unsecured firearms in the home can result in suicides, homicides, and unintentional shootings, and thousands of firearms are stolen in Texas each year and used in crimes. Safe storage education is a critical public safety tool.

Sixty percent of gun deaths in Texas are due to suicide. We can keep our veterans, youth, and other vulnerable communities safe through investing in firearm suicide awareness and providing resources for those in crisis.

In 2021, more than 70% of domestic violence victims were killed by firearm. Texas should ensure domestic abusers prohibited from possessing firearms do not have access to them. A comprehensive statewide protocol for the relinquishment of firearms would provide a process to follow.

Seventy-six percent of educators oppose arming teachers as a solution to prevent shootings. We support our educators and key stakeholders in opposing the expansion of firearms in our schools, courthouses, polling places, and other sensitive locations.