A bill passed by Texas lawmakers and sent to Gov. Greg Abbott for his consideration would ban so-called gun “buybacks”—those political stunts that have been proven not to work but are still touted by cynical local politicians as “doing something.”
Texas Gun Buyback Ban Measure
House Bill 3053 would bar local governments from organizing, sponsoring, or participating in events to purchase firearms from civilians, with the intent of reducing the number of guns in circulation.
Rep. Wes Virdell, sponsor of the measure, told those in attendance at a House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs meeting that the ineffectiveness of such programs has already been proven.
“While these programs are often promoted as a tool to reduce firearm violence by offering cash, gift cards or other incentives in exchange for firearms, the evidence tells a different story,” Rep. Virdell said. “The bottom line is this. Local governments are using public funds to buy back firearms that have little to no impact on public safety. It’s a misuse of taxpayer money and does not deliver the results that citizens expect or deserve.”
The Truth About Buybacks
In fact, what Rep. Virdell said about such “compensated confiscation” programs is absolutely correct. A 2021 study on the effectiveness of so-called gun “buybacks” reveals some important information that anti-gun politicians and bureaucrats probably aren’t going to want to hear.
A paper titled “Have U.S. Gun Buybacks Misfired,” authored by Toshio Ferrazares, Joseph J. Sabia, and D. Mark Anderson, and published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, concluded that such “buybacks” have no measurable impact on reducing violent crime.
Before looking at that, however, let’s first dispense with the whole notion of “buybacks.” Since the government never owned the firearms they are attempting to take possession of in the first place, “compensated confiscation” is a much better term for these proposals. Of course, that doesn’t sound quite as good on a big-city mayor’s resumé as a gun “buyback.”
“Gun buyback programs (GBPs), which use public funds to purchase civilians’ privately-owned firearms, aim to reduce gun violence,” reads the paper’s abstract. “However, little is known about their effects on firearm-related crime or deaths. Using data from the National Incident Based Reporting System, we find no evidence that GBPs reduce gun crime.”
The study further concluded: “Given our estimated null findings, with 95 percent confidence, we can rule out decreases in firearm-related crime of greater than 1.3 percent during the year following a buyback. Using data from the National Vital Statistics System, we also find no evidence that GBPs reduce suicides or homicides where a firearm was involved.”
Hopefully, the Texas bill and the effort to share the truth about gun “buybacks” will draw attention from pro-gun lawmakers in other states. If Gov. Abbott signs the measure, the new law will take effect on September 21.
