Texas election judges could carry guns if bill OK’d by House becomes law
Supporters said the bill would protect poll workers who continue to face violent threats. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line to cast their ballots on Election Day at the Esperanza Acosta Memorial Library in El Paso on Nov. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Cornyn wins over Texas GOP leadership after being censured and booed for his gun safety bill
The senator’s embrace of the state party chair could neutralize a potential threat as Cornyn faces a challenging primary terrain. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, takes part in a tour of a well site, led by Diamondback Energy and ChampionX, on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Midland.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune -
Brandon Herrera to request recount in primary runoff against U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales
Herrera said he doesn’t expect the results to change, “but I feel I owe it to my volunteers, voters, and supporters to leave no stone unturned.” Full Story
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![From left: U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, and his challenger in the GOP runoff, Brandon Herrera. Election Day is May 28.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Feds arrest five men accused of smuggling illegally purchased guns to cartels in Mexico
The men were charged with two criminal offenses, including straw purchasing of firearms, created by the 2022 bipartisan gun safety bill authored by Sen. John Cornyn. Full Story
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![A Springfield Saint Victor AR-15 rifle is displayed during the National Rifle Association annual convention in Houston on May 27, 2022.]()
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Supreme Court divided over gun rights challenge to Trump bump stock ban
Austin gun store owner Michael Cargill challenged the ban on the devices used in major mass killings after he was forced to surrender two bump stocks. Full Story
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![Assault-style weapons are laid on a table at a gun show in San Marcos on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Supreme Court hears Texas case about whether domestic violence suspects can be banned from having guns
The high court heard arguments in the case brought by Zackey Rahimi, who went on a shooting spree after being placed under a domestic violence protective order. Rahimi argues that his constitutional right to bear arms was violated. Full Story
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![The U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 4, 2022.]()
Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune -
A public health response helped reduce fatal car wrecks in Texas. Can it do the same for gun deaths?
For the first time in a generation, Texans were more likely to die of gunshot wounds than car crashes in 2021. Experts worry a lack of research on the issue has hampered the search for solutions. Full Story
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![Austin police responds to a homicide incident in North Austin on the early hours on June 28, 2019. Police reported that officers nearby heard gunshots then found a crashed vehicle. Inside, Joseph Anthony Aguilar Campos was found dead and slumped over. Police believe there was a gun battle and later arrested and charged John Paul Rivera for homicide.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Watch Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly speak at the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival
Giffords, a former U.S. representative, and Kelly, a U.S. senator, spoke to Katie Couric about combating the epidemic of gun violence. Full Story
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![Watch Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly speak at the 2023 Texas Tribune Festival]()
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Kyle Rittenhouse launches nonprofit with far-right Texans as he ramps up political engagement in the state
The activist known for shooting Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020 has created the Rittenhouse Foundation, which promises to fight for gun rights and includes leaders who have close ties to ultraconservative megadonors from West Texas. Full Story
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Texans do not need a license to carry, but some gun owners still want one
Since the permitless carry law passed in 2021, Texans have not needed a license to carry a gun. But gun instructors and some gun owners still see the benefits in taking the classes necessary to obtain a license. Full Story
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![Michael Cargill, owner of Central Texas Gun Works, trains and instructs a group of people during a license-to-carry class at the Lone Star Gun Range in Lockhart on Aug. 5, 2023.]()
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Democrats Colin Allred, Roland Gutierrez draw distinctions on key issues as they target Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024
Heading into the primary, the U.S. House member and state senator answer questions on guns, the border, abortion and other parts of their platforms. Full Story
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![From left: State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas. The two are running to be the Democratic nominee to face Ted Cruz in the 2024 senatorial race.]()
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A year after the Uvalde school shooting, officers who botched response face few consequences
A Washington Post investigation finds numerous higher-ranking officers who made critical decisions remain on the job. Full Story
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![Families of the victims of the Uvalde school shooting gather to attend a presser held by state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, where he introduced four new bills that will address qualified immunity for police officers, allow victims to sue the State of Texas, repeal the protection of the Lawful Commerce in Arms act, and create a permanent compensation fund for victims of school gun violence, at the state Capitol in Austin on Jan. 24, 2023.]()
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Texas House passes ban on devices that modify handguns, but averts vote on increasing age to buy semi-automatic rifles
A Texas lawmaker introduced an amendment that would have revived a proposal to raise the minimum age to buy certain semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 before it was ultimately withdrawn. Full Story
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![Dozens of people hold signs and chant at a rally in the rotunda of the state Capitol to call for a vote on HB 2744, which seeks to raise the age requirement to purchase semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21, in Austin on May 8, 2023.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Deaths from firearms keep climbing in Texas, decades after lawmakers began weakening gun regulations
The rate of firearm-related deaths in Texas has reached a level not seen since the 1990s. Texas lawmakers have approved more than 100 bills that loosened gun restrictions since 2000. Full Story
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![An interior view of Oasis Outback, the store where a gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School purchased his weapons, in Uvalde, Texas, U.S., May 25, 2022. REUTERS/Lisa Krantz]()
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Mass shooting timeline: 14 years of violence in Texas
Texas has seen nine mass shootings over the last 14 years while lawmakers have steadily loosened restrictions on carrying firearms. Full Story
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![An Allen police officer stands guard outside Hampton Inn, across from the Allen Premium Outlets after a shooting on May 6, 2023.]()
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Poll finds solid majority of Texans, even Republicans, favor raising age for gun purchases
The University of Texas survey also found stronger support for Sen. Ted Cruz, while Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis remain popular among Republicans. Full Story
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![Hundreds of handguns and rifles for sale at McBride’s Gun’s in Central Austin on Wednesday, April 20, 2021.]()
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FBI, Texas authorities search for gunman who killed 5 neighbors in San Jacinto County
In the face of mass shootings in Texas, state leaders have made it easier to access guns. Full Story
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![In a still image from video, an aerial view of the wooded area where a search is being conducted for Francisco Oropeza, 38, who police say shot dead five neighbors in Cleveland on Saturday, April 29, 2023. The shooting took place the night before.]()
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A divided Uvalde hasn’t had time to heal, speakers say
During a Texas Tribune event marking one year since the shooting at Robb Elementary School, parents, mental health experts and faith leaders talked about how the path to recovery isn’t the same for everybody. Full Story
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![Texas Tribune reporter Uriel J. García speaks with Kimberly Mata-Rubio and Veronica Mata at a community event titled "Uvalde: Resilience, Recovery and Healing" at the Southwest Texas Junior College on May 20th, 2023 in Uvalde.]()
Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune -
In overnight testimony, Uvalde victims’ family members call on Texas lawmakers to raise age to buy semi-automatic guns
The families of Uvalde shooting victims waited hours to testify at a House committee hearing in support of House Bill 2744, which would raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21. Full Story
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![Friends and families of the victims of the Uvalde shooting wait in a members lounge as they wait for the Community Safety Committee to reconvene, at the state Capitol in Austin on April 18, 2023. The committee will hear numerous bills relating to gun reform, most notably HB2744 which seeks to raise the age required to purchase semiautomatic rifles from 18 to 21.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House committee debates firearms bills filed in response to Uvalde shooting
The House Select Committee on Community Safety is scheduled to hear testimony on bills that would change how people buy firearms and how authorities report those purchases. One of these bills would raise the minimum age to 21 years old to purchase certain semi-automatic rifles. Full Story
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![Patrons of the SAXET Gun Show look at handguns at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown on Feb. 26, 2023.]()
Credit: Blaine Young for The Texas Tribune
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