The Texas Senate gave preliminary approval Monday to House Bill 3053, which State Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood, told fellow legislators would provide a “necessary guardrail against misuse of local authority,” the Texas Tribune reports. The proposal is one of many the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature has introduced in recent sessions to punish blue-controlled big cities such as San Antonio.
During debate, State Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, argued his hometown and Houston didn’t twist residents’ arms to participate in their recent gun buyback programs, according to the Tribune. In both cities, people voluntarily turned over unwanted firearms in exchange for gift cards.
“People were happy to take something that was going unused and exchange it for something they could take care of their family with,” Menendez said.
Hall’s response for why Texas must intervene?“It’s not the role of government to go out and buy people’s guns in order for them to be able to buy their food,” the GOP lawmaker fired back at Menendez, the Trib reports.
Meanwhile, State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, told Hall the state government had no business telling municipalities how they could spend their own money, according to the Tribune.
“No disrespect, but how dare you come to me and tell me what the City of San Antonio should do with their tax dollars?” Gutierrez asked.
Gutierrez — one of the Lege’s most outspoken gun-control advocates — went on to accuse Texas Republicans of treading into the “big government” territory they claim to abhor, the Tribune reports. He cited recent GOP bills banning kids from social media, renaming the Gulf of Mexico and banning schools from allowing students to act like “furries” as evidence of their overreach.
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This article appears in May 14-27, 2025.