Texas Senate committee to examine Uvalde school shooting, develop new safety measures

EDINBURG, Texas (Border Report) — A brand new Texas Senate committee shaped by the governor to look at state security following the college bloodbath in Uvalde, will maintain its first assembly the week of June 21 in Austin, a state senator advised Border Report on Tuesday.

Texas Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, a Democrat from McAllen, is one in every of 11 members appointed to the brand new Senate Particular Committee to Defend All Texans. He’s one in every of solely two members who symbolize the Texas border to serve on this particular element, which he mentioned will begin in two weeks after the entire funerals have been held in Uvalde.

Throughout an interview with Border Report on Tuesday in his district workplace in Edinburg, Texas, Hinojosa laid out the significance of higher security for public faculties in Texas in mild of the latest killings of 19 college kids and two academics by a youngster, who regulation enforcement mentioned had a number of assault rifles, on Might 24 inside Robb Elementary College within the border city of Uvalde.

“It’s develop into a continuing difficulty not solely right here within the state of Texas, however nationwide, and we have to give attention to what else can we do to make our public faculties safe. What else can we do to reduce and mitigate mass shootings? So these are the problems we’ll be taking a look at,” Hinojosa mentioned. “The place to begin is what occurred in Uvalde — one other mass capturing, one other bloodbath — and this time of 19 harmless kids and two harmless academics. And so we at the moment are taking a look at what occurred? Why it occurred and what might we have now finished to attempt to stop it?”

The committee will take testimony from most people, nevertheless it’s unsure whether or not it’ll meet exterior of Austin or journey to Uvalde and different affected areas.

Gov. Greg Abbott shaped the Senate Particular Committee to Defend All Texans after the Uvalde shootings, which have been the deadliest U.S. college shootings in over a decade.

“We as a State should reassess the dual points of faculty security and mass violence. As leaders, we should come collectively presently to offer options to guard all Texans,” Abbott wrote in a June 1 letter to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, asking him to assemble members for this job.

Patrick assigned the committee, which incorporates State Sen. Judith Zaffirini, a Democrat from the South Texas border metropolis of Laredo. The committee’s chairman is Republican Robert Nichols, of Jacksonville, in East Texas.

However Abbott dictated that the brand new committee would research the next:

• College security
• Psychological well being
• Social media
• Police coaching
• Firearm security

Hinojosa advised Border Report that he believes the main focus of lawmakers assigned to the committee needs to be gun security.

Hinojosa, a Marine fight veteran who’s licensed to hold, mentioned he believes in gun rights however add that there have to be higher safeguards to guard public security within the Lone Star State.

He advocates the next:

• Enhance to 21 from 18 the age an assault weapon may be bought.
• Prison background checks for all weapon purchases.
• A “cooling off interval” of 10 days after making use of for an assault weapon and receiving it.
• Pink-flag legal guidelines that enable regulation enforcement, such because the courts, to stop an individual “who’s in peril to their self or to most people” from taking possession of weapons “with correct due course of,” he mentioned.

“I’m a gun proprietor. The vast majority of gun homeowners are accountable individuals,” Hinojosa mentioned. “We all know and defend and help 2nd Modification rights however that doesn’t imply we shouldn’t be accountable and take a commonsense strategy when issues come up as we have now seen many times and once more with all of the mass shootings going down in the US.”

These suggestions are in step with gun management suggestions that Dallas County Commissioners on Tuesday have been contemplating implementing. Commissioners are also pushing for the governor to name a Particular Session to take up gun reforms.

Hinojosa says he would help a Particular Session on gun management and hopes Abbott will name one.

On Tuesday, Abbott despatched a letter directing the Texas Division of Public Security, Texas Schooling Company and Texas Increased Schooling Coordinating Board to increase and promote the iWatchTexas reporting system. This on-line platform permits residents to report suspicious or regarding habits.

“That’s fairly widespread sense. You see somebody who appears harmful, report it,” Hinojosa mentioned.

He mentioned he hopes that Texas lawmakers acknowledge that more cash must be spent on psychological well being points, they usually assist guarantee faculties adjust to security rules.

Hinojosa is vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and he says the state spends over $7 billion yearly on psychological well being providers throughout a number of completely different state businesses. In the course of the 2021 Legislature, a further $120 million was appropriated to create a psychological well being consortium to assist establish and help youth who’re struggling and need assistance.

However he mentioned it’s not sufficient. And he says native districts have to benefit from ample federal funds which can be accessible.

He additionally says there will not be in place correct enforcement mechanisms to carry faculties accountable to make sure they’re complying with all security necessities.

“It’s a wake-up name for a lot of faculties who haven’t taken this severely,” Hinojosa mentioned. “However a part of the fault is the state’s … it’s our fault as a result of we didn’t fund ample cash, ample funds to permit faculties to adjust to the necessities.”

“Crucial accountability of presidency is to maintain its residents secure. Sadly, the latest mass shootings have proven that we have now work to do to satisfy this accountability, and I’m able to get to work to seek out actual options that make our faculties, church buildings, grocery shops, and neighborhoods secure for everybody,” he mentioned.