‘There’s Nothing Wrong With a Weapon': Lupe Valdez Favors Keeping Guns From Violent People

AUSTIN -- Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Lupe Valdez on Thursday said she would favor "sensible" limitations on gun rights such as increased background checks, a ban on high-capacity magazines and some way to remove weapons from Texans who've shown a propensity to settle disputes with violence.As governor, Valdez she'd seek expert advice on how to frame her proposal for removing permits and even weapons from the violence-prone.While she opposes the open carry and campus carry laws passed by the Legislature in 2015, Valdez said she favors a concealed handgun permit.A former Dallas County sheriff, Valdez said she is "comfortable" with guns and understands their place in Texas culture.Packing heat is "part of who I am," a component of getting dressed each day in her 42-year law enforcement career, she said at a Texas Tribune event."There's nothing wrong with a weapon, as a lot of folks say," Valdez told Tribune chief executive Evan Smith. "But what's wrong is the way some folks want to use it. Any person with aggressive behavior that cannot solve their issues other than reaching for a gun doesn't need to have one."In her conversation with Smith and in remarks with reporters afterward, Valdez also said she'd be open to raising taxes "if necessary," to advance educational improvements. But she would oppose a state income tax, she said.And she would redirect much of the $800 million the state is spending on border security, preferring grants to local law enforcement agencies over current deployments of state troopers from around the state at locations along the Texas-Mexico border.  Continue reading...