The City of Austin is considering policy changes aimed at reducing gun violence and illegal gun trafficking.
Council member Mike Martinez says "there is a broad national conversation about curbing gun violence," and he thinks the city has a responsibility "to do everything we can do."
A subcommittee consisting of Martinez, along with fellow council members Laura Morrison and Chris Riley, will meet next Tuesday to consider legal options and to hear opinions from the Mayor's staff and Police Chief Art Acevedo.
In particular, Martinez says they'll look at the issue of private gun shows, which are routinely held at Travis County Expo Center. Martinez says the center is owned and operated by the county, but it sits on city land: “This is not an issue, as some are reporting, of precluding gun shows or stopping people from legally buying a firearm. This is simply asking the question: should a publicly-owned facility be used for these types of events."
Meanwhile, at this hour the NRA, in a crawl across its website, is asking members to call Travis County Commissioners and ask them not to put a gun show ban in place at the Expo Center.
The NRA has not responded to requests for comment.
