Texas mom testifies against gun bill that would lower purchase age to 18

In Texas, people must be at least 21 to buy a handgun from a licensed dealer — but Republican lawmakers want to change that.

House Bill 2470, proposed by Rep. Wesley Virdell (R-Brady) and cosponsored by 20 other Republicans, lowers the age to possess a handgun to 18, despite firearms being the leading cause of death for children and teens aged 1-17, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“This bill passing would be a bomb being detonated,” Robin Breed, a member of Moms Demand Action, said during a House committee hearing for the bill on April 14. “ Those of us in this room opposing this bill will continue to raise our voices against these dangerous and deadly policies, despite many of you being unwilling to look at  facts and data and continually leaving your conscious at the door.”