By: Gutierrez, et al. S.C.R. No. 11
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, Federal law protects firearms manufacturers and
dealers from being held liable when crimes have been committed with
their products; and
WHEREAS, The foundational premise of American law is that
victims of harm may seek redress in court against wrongdoers, and,
in every state, a business or an individual can be sued for
negligence when their conduct lacks reasonable care that
foreseeably results in harm to others; and
WHEREAS, There were more than 4,000 gun-related deaths in
Texas in 2020 and gun violence in Texas costs $16.6 billion dollars
per year; and
WHEREAS, More guns are purchased in Texas than in any other
state, and Texans purchased more than 1.6 million guns in 2021,
about one gun for every 14 adults in the state; and
WHEREAS, Texas also leads the United States in the number of
firearm mortalities, from 1999-2020, 4,090 Texas children died from
gun-related injuries; and
WHEREAS, Texas also leads the Nation in mass shootings; and
WHEREAS, On May 24, 2022, 19 school children and two teachers
were murdered during the attack on Robb Elementary in Uvalde Texas
using a weapon manufactured by Daniel Defense; and
WHEREAS, Gun manufacturers like Daniel's Defense advertise
their product to children and young men using incendiary marketing
that appeal to consumers based on hyper-masculinity, sexuality, and
militarism; and
WHEREAS, Like many other firearms companies, Daniel Defense
also sought placement of its products in movies and video games, and
Daniel Defense took special pride in alerting its followers to the
appearance of one of its DDM4 V7 rifles in the new Call of Duty:
Modern Warfare game, and this is the same weapon used by the
attacker on Robb Elementary; and
WHEREAS, In 2022 gun industry trade show in Las Vegas Wee1
Tactical used cartoons to market JR-15s (Junior AR-15s) to kids and
customers flocked to its booth, and the company was named on some
"best of" show lists; and
WHEREAS, Six of the nine deadliest mass shootings in the
United States since 2018 were by people who were 21 or younger, and
these perpetrators fit in a critical age range - roughly 15 to 25 -
that law enforcement officials, researchers and policy experts
consider a hazardous crossroads for young men, a period when they
are in the throes of developmental changes and societal pressures
that can turn them toward violence in general, and, in the rarest
cases, mass shootings; and
WHEREAS, Horrible gun-violence tragedies will continue as
long as gun manufacturers and gun dealers are not held accountable
for their irresponsible marketing and dangerous advertisements
that, in part, lead to some of the worst gun-related tragedies that
this State has endured since its inception; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas,
hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to
repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA); and,
be it further
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to
the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of
Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the
members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that
this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a
memorial.