State Senator Roland Gutierrez announces legislation to improve school safety and create memorial to victims

Austin (CBSDFW.COM) – State Senator Roland Gutierrez will present a package of bills to the Texas Senate today to prevent mass shootings.

Senator Gutierrez, representing Uvalde, is among the Democrats calling for an assault rifle ban. “My question to the leaders of this country is: How many children do you need to kill before they want to ban the school shooters’ choice weapons?”

The historic bills he proposes are aimed at fixing radio interoperability in rural areas, improving school safety, improving emergency response protocols between state and local public safety agencies, and creating a mass shooting memorial at the Texas State Cemetery.

In addition, according to a press release, Gutierrez will request funding for school security measures and mental health care.

The press conference is scheduled for 14:30. Click here to watch it.

This is the second release of several anticipated Uvalde legislation packages. Two weeks ago, Gutiérrez published legislation to strengthen state and local accountability, remove qualified immunity, and provide compensation to affected survivors and their families.

Uvalde families urgently call for tougher gun laws after the May 24, 2022 massacre. That day, nineteen children and two teachers were killed in a shooting at Robb’s elementary school.

The proposals Uwalde’s parents are asking for include raising the age limit for buying semi-automatic rifles like the one used in the May attack from 18 to 21, the state’s age limit for buying a handgun. The other will open up opportunities for families to sue officers who are not doing their jobs. An investigation report by state legislators subsequently revealed that about 400 officers waited in the hallway and outside for more than an hour to enter the classroom where the shooter fired.

According to her sister Marisol Lozano, Uvalde’s teacher Irma Garcia, who was killed, was shot 11 times from head to toe with an AR-15 rifle. She recalled how, before the funeral, her sister’s face and hands were reconstructed to hide the bullet wounds. Garcia’s husband, Joe Garcia, died of a heart attack shortly after the shooting.

“I wonder if there were 21 abortions in these classes, would our elected officials step in and do the right thing?” Lozano said referring to restrictions state lawmakers have imposed over the years, including one of the strictest abortion bans in the US.

Faith Mata, who lost her sister in the Uvalda shooting, also shared with members of Congress the feeling of losing her family.

“She will never graduate from high school, she will never fall in love herself, she will never attend my wedding. We will never know how scared she was in her last moments in this class,” Mata said of her sister, who was in fourth grade. when she was killed.

Mata, 21, and seven othersapproved by the House Judiciary Committee in December 2022

“Aren’t we tired of listening to yet another tragedy of gun violence? When will it be enough, enough? I sincerely hope this never happens to another family,” she told lawmakers.

But Democrats and Republicans remain far apart when it comes to any new gun reform bills.