AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday called on the Texas Legislature to form special committees to make legislative recommendations in response to the Uvalde school shooting.
In a letter to House Speaker Dade Phelan and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Senate's presiding officer, Abbott told his fellow Republicans that the state "must reassess the twin issues of school safety and mass violence." He said the committee process should start "immediately" and outlined five topics he would like the committees to take up.
Notably, the topics included "firearm safety." Abbott last week essentially ruled out gun restrictions as a response to the massacre, in which a gunman killed 19 students and two adults last week at Robb Elementary School. He focused his attention on mental health care and school security in his public comments.
The other topics Abbott charged leadership with making recommendations on were school safety, mental health, social media and police training.
The committees are different from a special legislative session, which Democrats — and at least a couple Republicans — have asked for after the shooting. Abbott has not ruled that out.
Spokespeople for Phelan and Patrick did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Texas Tribune reporting comes to life at The Texas Tribune Festival, Texas’ standout politics and public policy ideas event. Join us Sept. 22-24 in downtown Austin and hear from more than 300 big-name speakers including Hillary Clinton, Anthony Fauci, Will Hurd, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Andrew Yang and many others. Buy tickets.
"Gov. Greg Abbott asks for legislative recommendations in response to Uvalde shooting" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/06/01/greg-abbott-texas-legislature-uvalde/.
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
