George W. Bush 2000 On The Issues
Guns
Governor
Bush believes the best gun control measure is to vigorously
prosecute those who illegally sell guns, those who illegally carry
guns, and those who illegally commit crimes with guns. Governor
Bush’s priority as President will be to keep guns away from
criminals and juveniles. He will make federal gun prosecutions a
top priority, reversing the 46% decline in federal gun prosecutions
under the Clinton-Gore Administration. In addition, he will protect
law-abiding citizens’ constitutional Second Amendment rights while
at the same time enacting reasonable, common-sense restrictions on
the unsafe use of firearms.
Governor Bush’s Policies
Vigorous enforcement of current gun laws
-
Enforce
federal gun laws.
Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, federal gun prosecutions have
dropped 46%. Governor Bush will give prosecutors the resources they
need to aggressively enforce our gun laws and will provide more funding
for aggressive gun law enforcement programs such as Texas Exile and
Project Exile in Richmond, Virginia.
-
Make
instant-check prosecutions a top priority.
Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, there have only been 8
prosecutions out of over 200,000 direct violations of the Brady Law.
Governor Bush will give prosecutors the desperately needed resources
they need to aggressively enforce our gun laws.
Background checks at gun shows and pawn shops
-
Expand
‘instant check’ system.
Governor Bush believes the instant check system is the best way to keep
criminals from buying guns at gun shows and supports changing federal
law to give gun show sponsors special access to the National Instant
Check System to conduct checks on behalf of non-licensed vendors.
Increase the age for possession of a handgun
-
Increase the
minimum age from 18 to 21.
Governor Bush supports raising the age from 18 to 21 to possess a
handgun without parental supervision. Under current law, a person must
be 21 or older to purchase a handgun.
Supports Juvenile Assault Weapons Ban
-
Semi-automatic assault weapons ban for juveniles.
This would extend the current limitations (subject to the current
exceptions) on youth possession of handguns to semi-automatic assault
weapons.
Supports child safety locks for all handguns.
-
Child safety
locks for handguns.
Governor Bush supports voluntary efforts to equip all handguns with
child safety locks. If Congress passed legislation requiring mandatory
trigger locks for all new handguns, he would sign it. He is concerned,
however, that such legislation not be seen as a panacea, because adults
still have to be responsible for using the trigger locks and for
monitoring their children's actions.
-
Project
Childsafe.
Because congressional proposals to mandate child safety locks affect
only new handguns, and not the 65 million handguns already in
circulation, Governor Bush has called for Project Childsafe – a national
initiative to provide federal matching funds to make child safety locks
available for every single handgun in America.
Supports ban on importation of high-capacity ammunition clips.
-
Include
imported high-capacity ammunition clips to current ban.
Governor Bush supports extending the current ban on high-capacity
ammunition clips to include those imported from foreign countries.
Texas Record
Cracked down on gun violence
-
Automatic
jail time for juveniles illegally carrying guns.
Proposed and signed legislation requiring automatic jail time for
juveniles who carry firearms illegally or commit crimes with a gun.
-
Toughened
penalties for selling guns to kids.
In 1997, signed legislation making it a felony offense for selling or
giving a handgun to a minor.
-
Held parents
accountable.
In 1995, signed legislation providing criminal penalties for parents or
guardian who knowingly and recklessly leave a weapon accessible to a
minor who subsequently commits a crime or causes serious harm.
-
Created
weapon-free school zones.
In 1995, signed legislation prohibiting weapons within 300 feet of a
school and made a violation of the weapon free zone a felony.
-
Cracked down
on violent juveniles.
Established boot camps -- alternative “tough love” schools for
disruptive juveniles -- and lowered the age at which violent juveniles
can be tried as adults.
Allowed law-abiding citizens to protect themselves
-
Created a
responsible concealed carry law.
Similar to 31 other states, Texas law allows responsible, law-abiding
citizens to protect themselves. Under Texas law, a citizen 21 years or
older, who passes a rigorous background check, completes a gun safety
and conflict resolution course, and passes a firearm proficiency test
can obtain a state license to carry a concealed weapon.
Made child safety locks available to Texas parents
-
Project
Childsafe.
Launched a five-year, $5 million program to provide free child safety
locks and firearm safety information to Texas parents with the goal of
making child safety locks available for every single handgun in Texas.
Under Governor Bush, Texans are safer
-
Crime is
down.
During Governor Bush’s tenure, violent crime decreased 20 percent while
overall crime decreased 14 percent.
-
Juvenile
crime is down.
During Governor Bush’s term, violent juvenile crime decreased 44
percent and overall juvenile crime by 17 percent – the first decline in
over a decade.
-
Effectively
abolished parole for violent offenders.
Under current parole policies, violent criminals in Texas are serving
over 90 percent of their sentences; violent sex offenders are serving
100 percent of their sentences.
Source: George W. Bush for President 2000 Web Site
©2000-2007 by the 4President Corporation |