Abbott claims raising the age to buy an assault-style rifle is "unconstitutional" based on recent

Abbott claims raising the age to buy an assault-style rifle is “unconstitutional” based on recent court rulings

by Sneha Dey, Texas Tribune


Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that it would be unconstitutional to increase the minimum age to buy assault-style rifles from 18 to 21 years old — a key proposal Uvalde parents have called for after an 18-year-old gunned down their children’s school in May.

“It is clear that the gun control law that they are seeking in Uvalde — as much as they may want it — has already been ruled as unconstitutional,” Abbott said at a reelection campaign event in Allen.

The gunman in Uvalde bought two AR-15-style rifles days after he turned 18, the legal purchasing age in Texas, and used the weapons to kill 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary.

In the aftermath of the shooting, Texas Senate Democrats have asked for a special legislative session to increase the minimum age to purchase a semi-automatic rifle. Advocates call the proposal a compromise with GOP lawmakers — a three-year increase to the legal age instead of an outright ban on the style of weapon.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/31/greg-abbott-assault-rifle-raise-age/