politics
Texas Senate candidate hired former protest leader to draft gun bills
A Texas Democratic Senate candidate employed a former leader of a campus protest group as a legislative aide who helped draft three gun restriction measures in 2019. The bills did not pass the state legislature.
Jul 8, 7:11 AM·1m read1 source
New York PostAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
The aide worked on the campaign from January through May of that year. None of the three bills advanced.
Background on the protest group The protest group, which began in 2015, distributed more than 4,500 novelty items on the UT-Austin campus to oppose a state law permitting licensed gun owners to carry concealed weapons at public universities and community colleges.
The former leader took over the group after its founder graduated and moved to California. The group used slogans and imagery referencing male genitalia to draw attention to the campus carry policy.
Legislative work and statements The aide's LinkedIn profile lists work on bills that would have ended concealed carry reciprocity in Texas, required background checks for firearm rentals at shooting ranges, and tightened requirements for obtaining gun licenses.
A spokesperson for the candidate stated that the candidate supports universal background checks while maintaining that the Second Amendment is not absolute. The same statement said the candidate is not seeking to take guns away from lawful owners. The candidate is currently polling close to the state attorney general in the Texas Senate race.
