Sounds like teabaggers are upset "O'Rouke" interrupted their 101st "thoughts and prayers" press conference.
O'Rourk was right.
"Two years ago today, a heinous and senseless act of violence destroyed countless lives in the El Paso community. As we dealt with the aftermath of the horrific violence and overwhelming grief, we also saw the true spirit of what it means to be a Texan.
"People from every corner of the Lone Star State banded together to support and uplift El Pasoans during their time of loss. And together as a state, we stepped up to protect our communities and prevent future tragedies. Following the shootings in El Paso and Odessa, I issued eight executive orders directing state law enforcement to enhance anti-mass violence measures, convened the Texas Safety Commission to identify any shortcomings in our systems, and highlighted DPS’ safe gun storage campaign.
In August 2019, after 23 people
were killed by an avowed racist at an El Paso Walmart, and a few weeks later,
seven more people were killed in a shooting spree in Midland and Odessa, Abbott and Patrick discussed expanding background checks to include stranger-to-stranger gun sales.
By the end of the next legislative session in 2021, Patrick had gone silent on the issue. And the Legislature instead passed a bill long sought by gun rights advocates that allows Texans to
openly carry a handgun without a permit.
Just days after the May 18, 2018, shooting at Santa Fe High School, Abbott
quickly convened a series of roundtable discussions with school leaders, parents, teachers, students and advocacy groups at the Capitol to discuss ways to improve safety in Texas’ public schools.
By the end of the month, the governor had unveiled his
School and Firearm Safety Action Plan that included 40 recommendations to improve school safety and
pledged to put $110 million toward implementing the suggestions.
“This plan is a starting point, not an ending place,” Abbott said at the time. “It provides strategies that can be used before the next school year begins to keep our students safe when they return to school. This plan will make our schools safer and our communities safer.”
Most of the recommendations centered around “hardening” schools with more training for school marshals and better security infrastructure in campus buildings. There were also suggestions to prevent future threats, including increased mental health evaluations and a behavior threat assessment program in schools.
Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that the Uvalde school shooter had a "mental health challenge" and the state needed to "do a better job with mental health" — yet in April he slashed $211 million from the department that oversees
mental health programs.
In addition, Texas ranked last out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia for overall access to mental health care, according to the 2021
State of Mental Health in America report.
June 17 2021
People in Texas will soon be able to carry a handgun in public without obtaining a license, completing training or undergoing a background check.
Gov.
Greg Abbott (R)
signed a permitless carry bill into law on Wednesday, essentially eliminating some of the last remaining safeguards for possessing a lethal weapon in public for those aged 21 and up. The state already allows these citizens to carry rifles openly without a license.