How the Uvalde massacre changed Texas school safety and inspired gun reforms
Gloria Cazares sat in a Republican’s office in the Texas Capitol holding up a poster of her slain 9-year-old daughter Jackie.banning those under 21 from buying powerful AR-15-style assault rifles
“Were it not for their efforts, we wouldn't have made it that far, and I'm just grateful to them,” said state Rep. Tracy King, a moderate Democrat who represents Uvalde and authored the raise-the-age bill. “They need to never give up, keep on trying.”Burrows’ House Bill 3 gives school districts an extra $10 per student, plus $15,000 per campus, every year for school safety upgrades. Another $1.
“We want accountability,” said state Rep. Joe Moody, an El Paso Democrat, who experienced a mass shooting in his hometown in 2019. “Are the safety plans in place actually being carried out? Because what we saw in Uvalde is that there are a lot of plans on paper, but … if you don't follow them, tragic things can happen.”
The Legislature has separately funneled millions more into mental health care, especially in rural areas. School employees will get state funding for mental health training to help them identify and support children who may pose a threat. “We haven't put the proper connections in place across the state so that some of the people who do need that health care can access it,” he said.
The legislation built on a similar package that lawmakers passed in 2019, a year after a teenage gunman killed 10 people at Santa Fe High School. During that session, legislators expanded mental health initiatives in schools, established threat assessment teams and trained students to use “bleeding control stations” during emergencies.
It also offered the most significant federal gun reform in decades, though the changes themselves were limited. The measure expanded background checks for gun purchases, introduced greater scrutiny of young buyers, and encouraged states to pass “red flag” laws that temporarily remove firearms from people deemed a danger to themselves or others.
Gonzales knows that more legislation is needed to keep students safe, and he said he has been trying to figure out his next steps. Over the past few weeks, he has met with several local leaders in Uvalde — from the mayor to survivors’ parents to teachers who were shot — to ask for their perspectives.In Washington to make case for gun control, Uvalde families met people who know their pain
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