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Fact check: Abbott calls it unconstitutional to raise age to purchase assault-style rifles
Greg is full of crap when he claims that it is unconstitutional to increase the age to purchase assault weapons from 18 to 21
Link to tweet
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/politifact/article/Fact-check-Abbott-calls-it-unconstitutional-to-17462285.php?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=referral
The claim: "There have been three court rulings since May that have made it clear that it is unconstitutional to ban someone between the ages of 18 and 20 from being able to buy an AR. That came out of the federal court of appeals." — Gov. Greg Abbott
Abbott was responding to calls from Uvalde community members to raise the minimum age from 18 to 21 to purchase semi-automatic rifles, like the AR-15-like assault-style rifle used to kill 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary. Some states have raised the age to buy a semi-automatic rifle to 21, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Politifact rating: Mostly False. Only one of the cases Abbott cited directly addressed the question of limiting purchases of semi-automatic rifles. Furthermore, the Supreme Court hasn’t weighed in on an age limit.
PolitiFact Texas spoke with experts and found that Abbott spoke broadly on the court rulings he cited, and there has been no Supreme Court ruling addressing the constitutionality of raising the minimum age to purchase a semi-automatic weapon.
Steven Vladeck, a University of Texas law professor, said, at most, only one case out of the three Abbott referred to was apparently relevant to his claim, but that ruling was vacated in September.
Abbott was responding to calls from Uvalde community members to raise the minimum age from 18 to 21 to purchase semi-automatic rifles, like the AR-15-like assault-style rifle used to kill 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary. Some states have raised the age to buy a semi-automatic rifle to 21, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Politifact rating: Mostly False. Only one of the cases Abbott cited directly addressed the question of limiting purchases of semi-automatic rifles. Furthermore, the Supreme Court hasn’t weighed in on an age limit.
PolitiFact Texas spoke with experts and found that Abbott spoke broadly on the court rulings he cited, and there has been no Supreme Court ruling addressing the constitutionality of raising the minimum age to purchase a semi-automatic weapon.
Steven Vladeck, a University of Texas law professor, said, at most, only one case out of the three Abbott referred to was apparently relevant to his claim, but that ruling was vacated in September.