Will Texas Republicans ever reach a tipping point for guns? Y’all-itics: May 14, 2023

Eight innocent people dead. Seven more wounded. And hundreds more still suffering from shock and fear after being caught in the middle of a mass shooting involving another AR-15 style rifle. This time, it happened in Allen, Texas, a Dallas suburb. But at this point, it seems you can insert any Texas city’s name, like a Mad Lib. What is different is that a handful of Republicans have at least signaled they’re willing to have a discussion on guns. Will there ever be a tipping point for the Texas GOP to support even modest gun control measures? Will it take more Allens, as if Uvalde, El Paso, Sutherland Springs and Santa Fe weren’t enough already? A recent University of Texas at Austin survey found that the vast majority of Texans support raising the minimum age to buy any gun from 18 to 21 (76%, including 64% of Republicans). But the Republican-controlled Legislature has, so far, avoided a vote. In other words, no Texas Republican has yet had to go on record whether they support raising the age, or any other gun safety legislation. In this episode of Y’all-itics, the Jasons are joined by veteran WFAA journalist Teresa Woodard, who got the interview everyone’s been talking about… a Republican lawmaker who bluntly said something must be done about guns. And the Representative of the district where the Allen massacre took place explains why he thinks it will lead to legislative changes. But what kind of change? That answer is what most Texans have been waiting for.

Guests

Teresa Woodard, WFAA Senior Reporter/Anchor

State Rep. Frederick Frazier, R-McKinney

State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Allen