Update: The Travis County Commissionersscheduled to take action today on a controversial proposal to ban gun shows at the Travis County Expo Center and other county-owned facilities.
Commissioners will take up the topic at 10 a.m.
Original Post (Jan. 7, 6:04 p.m.): There’s a gun show at the Travis County Exposition Center about once a month, but that may come to an end. On Tuesday, Travis County commissioners will consider a measure that would no longer allow gun shows on county land or at county facilities.
Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe says his decision to put the measure on the Commissioner’s Court agenda was influenced by public outcry after last month’s shooting deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut.
Judge Biscoe says he’s still not sure how he feels about selling guns on public property; he wants to explore the County’s options.
"I thought the appropriate thing to do was to put it on the agenda to let the court receive input from staff as well as consult the county attorney on the legal ramifications if we were to stop leasing the facility for gun shows," Judge Biscoe said.
Joseph McBride, owner of McBride's Guns, says measures like these do little to curtail gun violence.
"I don’t know what it’s going to accomplish," McBride said. "I don’t know what it is they’re accomplishing other than feeling good about doing something."
The Austin City Council may take up a similar measure later this month.
