For some gun safety advocates, the main goal of legislation is, curiously, not really legislative. John Lindsay-Poland, founder of the Stop U.S. Arms to Mexico Project, explained that he doesn’t expect gun control measures to become law in Texas, but he does see potential for cultural change. Because stats show both American and Mexican criminals use certain weapons and weapon accessories more than others, he believes Texas communities can pressure gun dealers to stop selling their most dangerous products. He said that filed legislation, even if it doesn’t become law, might help raise awareness about gun smuggling and turn up the heat on a cultural level.
[State Senator Sarah] Eckhardt sees things similarly: “Social messaging around intentions could ask, ‘Who are the good guys with guns?’ I’m pretty sure most would say that those who sell semi-automatics and pretend not to know where they’re going are not the good guys.” …
So, what’s the plan? Eckhardt, in her list of priorities for the upcoming session, has officially asked Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s office to research “weakening the ability of cartels to cause violence on both sides of the border.” As a former prosecutor, she emphasizes the need for legislation to both discourage gun trafficking and prosecute people who participate in it. Gutierrez is also committed to filing what he considers necessary, life-saving legislation focused on cartel gun access when he returns to the pink dome in January, even if it is unlikely to become law.
— Maggie Quinlan in Texas Dems Want Gun Safety Bill to Block Mexican Smuggling