Stalled gun bill advances in Texas after new mass shootings

By ACACIA CORONADO and JIM VERTUNO
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A bill in Texas that would raise the purchase age of AR-style rifles has abruptly advanced, two days after a mass shooting at an outdoor mall near Dallas. A GOP-led committee in the Texas House on Monday voted 8-5, with two Republicans joining six Democrats, to advance the bill amid new demands for gun control and protesters who shouted “Do Something!” inside the state Capitol. The measure is still unlikely to become law in Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has previously waved off the idea of allowing only people 21 or older to purchase weapons like those used in many of the country’s worst mass shootings, including in Texas.