Should the U.S. have stricter gun laws? Polls show where Texans stand on reform
The topic of stricter gun laws resurfaced this week following a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday.
The shooting is the deadliest school shooting in Texas history and the second deadliest in the nation, with at least 19 children and two teachers killed, as well as the shooter.
Within 24 hours of the shooting, Texas politicians and candidates voiced their thoughts on whether stricter gun laws were needed.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, retweeted a quote by Rep. Tony Gonzales that said he was not open to debate gun policy on Wednesday.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, urged the nation to come together in support of the grieving families and said he had seen too many similar shootings. Despite this comment, Cruz reportedly voiced opposition to gun law reform and said it was “politicizing” the situation.
Both Cruz and Cornyn are slated to speak at the annual National Rifle Association meeting on Friday in Houston. Gov. Greg Abbott and former President Donald Trump are also on the list of speakers.
On Wednesday Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke called for Abbott to withdraw from the speaker line-up and encouraged him to have the convention moved out of Texas.
Outside of politicians, where do Texans stand on gun laws? The Texas Politics Project, conducted by the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin, has polled Texans about their thoughts on gun laws. Here are some of the findings of the project has found.
Should gun laws be more or less strict?
In a poll conducted in February, an average of 43 percent of Texans said they favored more strict gun laws with the second highest percentage, 34, that said the laws should be left as they are now. About 16 percent wanted less strict laws, and 7 percent had no opinion.
Breaking down the numbers by political party, 74 percent of those who identified with the Democratic Party favored stricter gun laws, compared with 16 percent of Republicans, and 41 percent of respondents who said they were independent from either party.
About 57 percent of the Republicans polled favored leaving gun laws as there are, compared with 12 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of independents.
Looking at age groups, the Texas Politics Project found between 42 to 45 percent of all age groups favored stricter laws. Keeping current laws in place was favored by about 41 percent of those aged 65 and older, 37 percent ages 45-64, and 27 percent ages 18-29 and 30-44.
Location also played a factor in how Texans answered. Respondents who favored stricter gun laws were mostly from urban and suburban areas at 52 percent and 42 percent, respectively. About 30 percent of rural residents favored stricter laws, while 45 percent of them favored keeping current laws. Meanwhile 36 percent of suburban residents and 25 percent of urban residents also favored keeping current laws.
How have state leaders handled gun violence in Texas?
The Texas Politics Project conducted a poll in October on whether Texans approved of how state leaders and the legislature had handled gun control in Texas. Results showed 32 percent strongly disapproved, while 18 and 17 percent strongly approved and somewhat approved. Respondents who neither approved or disapproved made up 17 percent of respondents.
The majority of those who strongly disapproved were members of the Democratic Party at 66 percent; 5 percent of Republicans strongly disapproved. Republicans made the majority of those who strongly approved and somewhat approved at 31 percent for each. Independent respondents made the majority of those who neither approved nor disapproved at 28 percent.
How have Texas leaders handled Second Amendment rights?
Another October poll conducted by the Texas Politics Project found 31 percent strongly approved of how Second Amendment rights have been handled in Texas while 23 percent strongly disapproved.
About 57 percent of Republicans strongly approved, 20 percent of independents and four percent of Democrats. The majority of respondents who strongly disapproved were Democrats at 50 percent, compared with 20 percent of independents and 2 percent of Republicans.
Should legal gun owners over 21 be allowed to carry handguns without a license or training?
The Texas Politics Project conducted a poll in October asking Texans whether they supported or opposed allowing legal gun owners over the age of 21 to carry in most public places in Texas without a license or training. The highest percentage strongly opposed at 42 percent. Those who strongly supported or somewhat supported the question made up 19 percent each.
Respondents who identified with the Democratic Party were more likely to oppose handgun carry without a license or training at 75 percent. About 37 percent of independents were opposed and 15 percent of Republicans.
About 30 percent of Republicans strongly supported and 32 percent somewhat supported carrying handguns without a license or training. Among independents, 23 percent and 14 percent of strongly supported or somewhat supported, and among Democrats about 5 and 6 percent, respectively.
Breaking down the support for carrying without a license or training, about 50 percent of those age 18-29 were strongly opposed That same age group was the least likely to support unlicensed handgun carry at 9 percent. The age group most likely to support were respondents 65 and older at 24 percent; however, about 37 percent of that age group was strongly opposed to unlicensed handgun carry.
