As session kicks off in Austin, the families of the 21 people killed at a Uvalde...
Sen. Roland Gutierrez meets with families impacted by the Robb Elementary massacre in Uvalde, Texas, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, to discuss plans for the legislative session that kicked off last Tuesday.More than seven months after a teenage gunman killed 21 people at Robb Elementary School, the speaker of the Texas House was in Uvalde for a private meeting with relatives of the victims.
, and several of them campaigned heartily for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke, who lost his challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott on Nov. 8.In Washington to make case for gun control, Uvalde families met people who know their pain and hold the Texas Department of Public Safety, along with other law enforcement agencies, accountable for their botched response to the May 24 shooting.
When they’ve advocated for change in Washington, the Uvalde families have been supported by nonprofit gun violence prevention groups and members of Congress who have worked for years to restrict firearm sales.After the first Christmas since their loss — and after listening to New Year’s Eve fireworks that reminded them of gunshots — they want to regain momentum. The meeting with Phelan was the first of many they hope to arrange.
The offer is on the table for all 181 members of the Legislature, Gutierrez said. He believes viewing the footage might convince some to vote to raise the age limit. The gunman at Robb had bought his rifle days after his 18th birthday. There’s a smaller Democratic audience in Texas, she said — and also the possibility that conservatives would cheer their representatives for voting against gun restrictions. The families have been disappointedUvalde shooting spawned a lot of activism — then it splintered
“Make a change, even a baby step,” said Berlinda Arreola, the grandmother of Amerie Jo Garza, 10, who died in the massacre. “We are not giving up. We are not done.” After mass shootings in El Paso and Midland-Odessa in 2019, Abbott recommended passing the so-called “red flag” laws that allow courts to temporarily remove firearms from people deemed a danger to themselves or others. Patrick also bucked the NRA in advocating for background checks on stranger-to-stranger gun sales.
Broader discussions about school safety are already underway. Perry, the Lubbock Republican, has introduced a bill that would require additional intervention for students exhibiting disruptive behavior in the classroom and provide more students with access to virtual mental health services.
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