ROBSTOWN, Texas — Kenneth Lease owns Hold the Line Firearms Training and said he’s been shooting guns his entire life.
Educating the public on how they should handle guns is a way for him to teach people how to load and shoot a gun properly.
But recent legislation proposals has Lease thinking about the future of firearms.
State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa said he’s proposing red flag laws, which permit police or family members to petition a state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may present a danger to others or themselves.
He’s one of the 13 Texas Senate Democrats proposing the change.
“Red flag laws to identify people with mental health challenges to make sure we take away any guns they have in their possession until they recover,” Hinojosa said.
Lease said he’s against red flag laws because they may unfairly target people.
“When we talk about red flag laws, it’s real easy to file a complaint on someone and it’s real easy for the government to step in and take away people’s guns or their rights. But, from what I can see from the red flag laws and the states that have them already, it’s almost impossible to get your rights back,” Lease said.
Apart from red flag laws, Hinojosa is also proposing to raise the age to buy a gun from 18 to 21.
He’s also proposing mandatory criminal background checks for those purchasing a gun.
Hinojosa is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session to address those issues.
On Wednesday, Abbott announced he is is calling for special committees to reassess how to make schools safer.
Those committees would address school safety, mental health, social media, police training and firearm safety.
Congressman Michael Cloud said he’s thankful Abbott is calling for special committees.
“It is important for those of us at the Federal level to remember our first responsibility to protect and preserve the Peoples’ liberties enshrined in our Constitution,“ Cloud said in a statement to KRIS 6 News.
Lease emphasized the importance of legislators addressing mental health issues as it related to guns.
He said legislators need to fund more mental health resources and facilities instead of focusing on stricter gun laws.
“We’ve got to put that aside and start talking about the mental health issues in this country and we’ve got to start being able to connect the dots between the people that see an issue, and the people that can bring the help to that person,” Lease said.
