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San Antonio State Sen. Roland Gutierrez has been a vocal critic of the state's handling of the Uvalde school shooting.
The two gun-related bills would establish high risk protective orders to keep firearms away from potentially dangerous people and raise the age limit to buy any firearm from 18 to 21.
The other proposal would set up a $300 million fund for Uvalde victims and their families and waive legal immunity for state and local law enforcement who responded to the Robb Elementary shooting on May 24.
“We are doing what should have been done after Sutherland Springs, Santa Fe, El Paso, and Midland-Odessa," the Democrat said in an emailed statement. "Making sure that young killers cannot get their hands on the weaponry that is used in most of these shootings."
Gutierrez, whose district includes Uvalde, has been one of the most outspoken critics of law enforcement's sluggish response to the shooting, during which nearly 400 armed personnel waited more than hour to confront and shoot the gunman. The senator has also blasted Gov. Greg Abbott for failing to call an emergency legislative session to address gun reforms in the wake of the tragedy.
The next session of the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature session starts in January. So far, Texas GOP leaders have shown no willingness to impose new limits on gun ownership despite multiple high-profile mass killings across the state.
“It’s time for the killing in Texas to stop," Gutierrez said. "We cannot continue to live in fear of going to school, going to church, shopping for groceries, and just living our lives.”
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