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.