More must be done to prevent further gun tragedies in Texas and America. said Gutierrez
Press release by the Office of State Senator Roland Gutierrez; Picture; Uvalde Hesperian file photo
Austin, Texas – Today, State Senator Roland Gutierrez issued a statement celebrating the anniversary of the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major piece of gun safety legislation in three decades. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was written and passed in the wake of the Uvalde Massacre, where 19 children and 2 teachers at Robb Elementary lost their lives at hands of an 18-year old armed with an AR-15.
“Every day, Americans are living in peril at churches, schools, shopping malls, and even just walking down the street, because of the absence of common sense gun safety laws. We have to find the political courage to secure our future.
“I am grateful that one year ago today, President Biden led Democrats and Republicans to pass the first major piece of gun safety legislation in three decades. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act has had an immediate effect on saving lives – enhancing background checks for people under 21, helping keep guns out of dangerous hands and expanding mental health services in school to help address trauma resulting from gun violence. But too many states are dodging their solemn responsibility to keep people safe.
“Gun violence is still the number one killer of our children. We have to mandate universal background checks to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals in the first place. We must close the gun show loophole. And we have to restrict the sales of firearms to those 21 years of age and above. Lives are at stake, and nothing will change, if we don’t stand up and do something about it.”
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was signed into law on June 25, 2022 and celebrated on July 11th of last year. Senator Gutierrez was invited to the bill signing ceremony by President Biden.
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Roland Gutierrez has served as the Texas State Senator for District 19 since 2021, previously serving six terms as a member of the Texas House of Representatives and two terms as a San Antonio City Councilman.
