Dallas Sen. Royce West says Senate committee will probe school safety, mental health issues
North Texans among lawmakers in special committees in wake of Uvalde school shooting
Republican State Rep. Charlie Geren and Democrat State Senator Royce West are part of their respective special committees created at Gov. Abbott’s direction to look at how to keep Texans safer, especially at schools.
DALLAS - A special committee in the Texas House will investigate the police response the Uvalde school shooting that left 21 people dead.
A separate committee in the State Senate will look at broader issues like school safety, mental health and firearms safety.
As the sad funeral processions continue from the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde that took the lives of 19 kids and two teachers, Gov. Greg Abbott is directing committees to look at how to better keep Texans safe, especially our schools.
State Sen Royce West (D-Dallas) is on the Senate committee.
"The goal is supposed to look at where we are as it relates to school safety in light of the fact that Texas is ground zero, unfortunately, of these domestic terrorist attacks on our schools," he explained.
West says the shooters seem to have two things in common: the weapons they used and their personality profiles.
"We've got to look at our mental health system again," he said. "We've got to look at the structure of our schools and the programming in our schools in order to keep kids safe. And we've got to look at the issue concerning weapons in the state of Texas."
Calls grow for committees, reviews & new laws in wake of Texas school shooting
West says studies show people want action but is realistic about how far that action may go.
"The fact is they are for red flag laws. They're for background checks. They're for a cooling-off period. They're for raising the age. A whole litany of things," he said. "Now will those issues get addressed by this committee? I can't tell you that they will get addressed. I can tell you that they will be raised."
The committees were called by the governor, for now, rather than a special session as many voices have asked.
Now approaching the second week in June is their time for concrete plans to protect our schools, students and teachers.
"That is our job as legislators as leaders of this state to deal with these types of emergency situations in our state to assure Texans that when these kids go back to school that they will be protected against these types of attacks," West said.