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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Polls show that a majority of Americans support |
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stricter gun laws, including universal background checks, |
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mandatory waiting periods for gun purchases, and a ban on the sale |
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of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; and |
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WHEREAS, A 2018 national poll found that 67 percent of |
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Americans support a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons, |
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which are weapons with military features that enable shooters to |
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spray large amounts of ammunition quickly; semiautomatic rifles |
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with a detachable magazine and a pistol grip are among the assault |
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weapons that two-thirds of Americans believe should be banned from |
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sale; and |
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WHEREAS, National polling also indicates that 53 percent of |
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Americans support a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines; a |
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majority of Americans are aware that when high-capacity magazines |
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are used to give a mass shooter more rounds of ammunition, deaths |
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and injuries rise sharply; an investigation into mass shootings in |
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the United States found that high-capacity magazines were used in |
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half of the shootings between 1982 and 2012; and |
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WHEREAS, The high level of support for universal background |
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checks reflects concern about the "gun show loophole" that allows |
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as many as 40 percent of all gun sales to be completed without a |
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background check of the gun buyer; polls show that 97 percent of |
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Americans and 97 percent of gun owners support universal background |
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checks; and |
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WHEREAS, National polls also show a high level of support for |
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mandatory waiting periods for gun purchases; 83 percent of |
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Americans believe that a "cooling off" period between purchasing |
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and obtaining a gun would save lives; and |
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WHEREAS, Americans support an assault weapons ban and other |
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stricter gun laws because such laws would make us all safer; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 86th Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to pass |
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stricter gun laws, including a ban on the sale of assault weapons; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |