Time and time again, you’ve stood up and made your voice heard. Now it’s time to do it again.

Texas gun owners need to compose and submit a statement to the Texas House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety to ensure a pro-Second Amendment view is heard.

What’s Happening…

The tragedy in Uvalde, Texas was a reminder to everyone that evil individuals exist and seek to attack our most loved and precious. And as the committee meets to hear potential solutions, gun owners need to make clear that gun control is not an answer to these evil attacks. In fact, any real solution should include repealing gun-free school zones and arming willing school staff to protect themselves and their students.

Take Action Now!

Please write a personal statement defending gun rights and submit it to the committee as soon as possible but no later than Thursday, June 23, 2022!

You don’t need special training or experience. You simply need to have an opinion on the issues and write at least a few sentences explaining your thoughts. Please be polite and respectful in your comments.

Here’s how:

Step One: Read the topics.

The Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety will meet next Thursday, June 23, 2022, to consider three topics, or “charges.” Your statement must specifically address one or more of these topics. The charges are:

Charge #1: Study the implementation and impact of Senate Bill 11 (86th Legislature, Regular Session) and any other pertinent laws. Identify additional policies, protocols, and strategies that will help create a safer environment in schools and local communities.

Charge #2: Examine strategies to prevent acts of violence, including measures to enhance firearm safety in Texas.

Charge #3: Evaluate the preparedness of and coordination between state and local agencies, non governmental entities, and law enforcement for the prevention of and response to mass violence, including the content and efficacy of active shooter response training.

Step Two: Write your statement.

It doesn’t need to be long—in fact, legislators are more likely to read shorter statements. Include your personal experience and relevant stories. Tell the committee what you believe, why you believe it, and what you want them to do about it. (See below for talking points.)

Step Three: Submit your statement.

Go here to submit your statement. First, begin by checking the Acknowledgement and Affirmation box, then, complete the contact information by entering your details. Next, select which topic you wish to address. As an example, a gun owner may want to use “Charge #2” as an opportunity to advocate for repealing gun-free zones and arming willing school staff. Finally, input your polite comments in defense of the right to keep and bear arms within the 3000-character limit.

If you would like to submit a statement on more than one of the charges, simply go through the process individually for each charge.

The committee will accept submissions until the hearing ends. Since we can’t know what time the hearing will end, it is safest to submit your comments no later than 10:00am on June 23, 2022.

Talking Points

The following information is provided to help you craft your pro-gun message.

• SB 11 Testimony and Press Release – please note this testimony and press release are from 2019, when GOA identified potential long-term issues with the bill. Now that the bill has passed, the Legislature is asking only about its implementation and impact.
• “Red Flag” Gun Confiscation Talking Points – note that the committee is not specifically addressing “red flag” laws, but others may bring up the subject
• Ending “Gun-Free” Zones Talking Points
• How Will Texas Stop the Threat?
• A Hero Border Patrol Agent borrowed barber’s shotgun and cleared wing of Robb Elementary to save his daughter and now advocates for arming teachers.

• Before massacre, Uvalde gunman frequently threatened teen girls online – Friends of the murderer in Uvalde, Texas didn’t bother reporting the threats of kidnapping and rape he made against them, demonstrating the pervasiveness of causal violence in young people.
• GAO Report: Purchased From Federal Firearm Licensees Using Bogus Identification – Government Accountability Office finds how anyone—including an determined underage killer—can purchase a gun and pass a NICS Background Check with a fake ID 100% of the time. If buying a gun under 21 is just as easy as purchasing alcohol, then this ban is ineffective at stopping criminals and will only disarm law abiding 18-20-year-olds.
• College Student Says She’s Glad Her Dad Gave Her The Gun She Used To Fight Off Armed Home Invaders [VIDEO] – Most college students are under 21 and should have the right to defend themselves.

You may also find other helpful information and data in our Texas Talking Points Booklet from last legislative session.

Thank you in advance for stepping up and taking action!