TEXAS — Texas House Democrats are putting pressure on Governor Greg Abbott to call a special session in the wake of two mass shootings in the state just weeks apart.
The House Democratic Caucus hosted five news conferences across the state Wednesday morning to discuss gun violence and protecting Texans. Hours before that, members delivered a letter to Abbott calling for the special session. It was signed by 61 of the 66 members of the caucus and also included several gun-related legislative proposals:
- Enacting extreme risk protective order laws and closing existing loopholes in current protective order laws
- Closing the background check loopholes
- Banning the sale of high-capacity magazines
- Limiting the open carry of certain semi-automatic long guns
- Requiring stolen guns be reported to law enforcement
“Thoughts and prayers have their place, but members of the Texas Legislature and the governor were duly elected to write law, to take action, to lead in the face of tragedy, not sit on the sidelines, and not pander to a small minority that doesn’t support common sense gun reform,” said Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin.
Over Labor Day weekend, seven people were killed in Odessa and nearly two dozen others were injured after a gunman went on a rampage through Odessa and Midland. That tragedy happened four weeks after a deadly shooting in El Paso that left 22 dead and more than two dozen wounded.
Gov. Abbott has the sole authority to call a special session. The legislature does not convene again until 2021.
A spokesperson for the governor said Wednesday all strategies are on the table, but that doesn’t include a “Helter Skelter approach that hastily calls for perfunctory votes that divide legislators along party lines.”
“If Democrats really want to change the law, they need to stop talking to cameras and start talking to colleagues in the Capitol to reach consensus,” Abbott spokesman John Wittman said.
In the wake of the shootings, Republican leadership has formed groups to help explore long-term responses.
Gov. Abbott created the Domestic Terrorism Task Force and the Texas Safety Commission following the El Paso shooting.
And Tuesday, House Speaker Dennis Bonnen and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced they had formed interim select committees to study “mass violence prevention and community safety.”
Click the video link above to watch our interview with Rep. Poncho Nevarez, who’s been appointed the vice chair of the new House select committee.