A group of mostly Texas residents, organized by Todd Maclin, a former senior executive at JP Morgan Chase, has signed an open letter in support of expanding background checks for gun purchases, adoption of “red flag” laws to deny firearms to those deemed dangerous to themselves or the public, and raising the minimum age to purchase certain guns from 18 to 21.
The letter ran as a full-page ad in Sunday’s Dallas Morning News and garnered 250 signatures, including Robert Rowling, the billionaire founder of TRT Holdings, which owns the Omni Hotels, and the oil executive. billionaire Ray Hunt, both of whom are high profile Republican donors.
By Tuesday, more than 600 Republican gun owners in Texas and across the country had signed on, Maclin said.
“I believe all Americans are deeply disturbed by the level of gun violence in our country,” Maclin said in an email to Reuters. “As for this group, we want to do our part to encourage legislation that will help solve the problem.”
The donors’ position represents a significant, if modest, shift in Republican orthodoxy on the gun issue. The party has shown low tolerance for any new limits on guns, despite strong American support for safety measures such as background checks and increased calls for reform after the Texas massacre.
In New York state, Republican Representative Chris Jacobs dropped out of his re-election bid under pressure from party activists after he backed a ban on assault rifles following the racially motivated mass shooting at a grocery store in New York. Buffalo (New York) which killed 10 black residents.
People who describe themselves as gun enthusiasts and Second Amendment supporters behind the open letter said they were ready to consider new ways to reduce gun violence after an 18-year-old shooter killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Uvalde Elementary School in Texas.
“The issues are very complicated and require thoughtful and apolitical solutions,” the letter said.
A bipartisan group of US senators, including Republican John Cornyn of Texas, is discussing reforms, such as encouraging states to pass red flag laws and providing federal funds to improve school safety.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has argued that tougher gun laws will not prevent future tragedies and said lawmakers should focus on expanding access to mental health services and strengthening security in schools.
A spokesman for Mr. Abbott, a Republican seeking re-election in November, did not say whether he would support any of the measures sought by some of his major donors.
Rowling and her company have donated about $21 million to Republican candidates and party-allied groups at the state and federal level over the past decade, according to campaign finance reports. These donations include nearly $1.5 million for Governor Abbott’s three campaigns.
Hunt has donated more than $10 million state and federal since 2012, including nearly $2 million to Abbott campaigns.
Hunt’s and Rowling’s organizations did not respond to emails seeking comment.
Sam Susser, a private investment and banking executive who also signed the letter, has given Abbott about $450,000 since 2013.