Our friends at Texas Gun Sense envision a future free of gun violence. They advocate for stronger, safer gun laws and support policies that make our communities safer—all while protecting the rights of responsible gun owners. Texas Gun Sense held their annual fall fundraiser last week - this organization is very meaningful to our Executive Director Kathleen Thompson, as a former advisory board member. Kathleen and our Communications Director Chris Mosser both attended the event, and as parents, both know all too well the terrible statistics of gun violence in Texas - especially as they impact our youngest Texans.

Texas State Representative Josey Garcia of San Antonio was the keynote speaker - Rep. Garcia is the first and only woman veteran currently serving in the Texas House, and has made it a priority to champion issues affecting veterans and military families. She fights to expand access to mental health resources and to raise awareness about suicide prevention.

You’ll also hear a touching testimonial from Ruth Moonesinghe, as she accepts Texas Gun Sense's 2026 Frances Schenkkan Advocate of the Year Award on behalf of InKind. Ruth is the mother of Rajan Moonesinghe, a technology entrepreneur and co-founder of InKind, who was killed in a police-involved shooting outside his Austin home in November 2022. Ruth has transformed her tremendous personal loss into powerful advocacy to prevent gun violence, build safer communities, and strengthen trust between law enforcement and the public. We thank her for sharing her story, and we also thank InKind for supporting this life-saving work.

Learn more about Texas Gun Sense at ⁠https://txgunsense.org/⁠.

Learn more bout InKind at ⁠https://inkind.com/⁠.

Learn more about State Rep. Josey Garcia at ⁠https://www.joseygarcia.com/⁠.

Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at ⁠https://progresstexas.org/⁠.