Why won’t Texas GOP make common-sense gun control part of school safety debate? | Opinion
School safety continues to be a common topic of debate in Texas, as well it should be. Republicans, who control the entire legislature and executive branch, should approach the topic, including gun control measures, with humility, curiosity, and common sense.
On Wednesday, the Texas Senate passed a school safety bill. Senate Bill 11 would create a safety and security department within the Texas Education Agency, which could force school districts to establish active-shooter protocols. All districts should have these already, but this would light a fire under the ones that don’t, as districts that don’t meet the agency’s standards could risk being placed under the state’s supervision.
The bill also addresses truancy, given that missing school can be a red flag. The shooter in the Uvalde tragedy missed a lot of school and eventually dropped out of high school. The fact that this bill is addressing two different sides of school safety — mental health and preparedness — is a good thing.
On Tuesday, House members passed a number of school safety bills as well. House Bill 3 now heads to the Senate. It requires that schools hire at least one armed security officer at every campus and provides incentives for school employees to get the certification necessary to carry a weapon. The bill also calls for the installation of silent panic alert buttons in every classroom and provides individual schools an additional $15,000 each year to upgrade their security, costing, ultimately about $1.6 billion.
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While the policy itself may be helpful to schools, allowing them choice in the marketplace, Tinderholt’s involvement — suggesting an amendment that could line his own pockets — is, at best, not a good look and, at worst, a possible violation of the Texas Constitution and other ethics rules.
When reached for comment, Tinderholt’s office responded with this statement: “I’m proud to have worked to give schools less expensive options to be able to afford the security needed to protect their students. My amendment allows schools the freedom to choose the security option that they believe ensures maximum safety for their students.”
While Tinderholt is just one politician, Republicans are constantly suggesting they support family policies and are adamant about school safety. A move like this - which prompts questions about Tinderholt’s credibility - undermines their efforts.
Then there is the controversial issue of guns. The Uvalde school tragedy ran contrary to the Texas-wide belief that a good guy with a gun subverts a bad guy with a gun. In Uvalde, dozens of law enforcement officers showed up and failed to act for over an hour. Some of these policies look like lawmakers learned from Uvalde, but any legislation related to guns themselves has yet to be broached, let alone passed.
One thing has become clear: Democrats reach for gun control because it seems like a one-size-fix-all measure. Republicans reach for hardening schools because it keeps gun ownership safe and still addresses one facet of the problem. But let’s be honest: Both things are real issues.
Little respect was shown to Uvalde families who lost loved ones when they traveled to Austin on April 18 to testify about HB 2744, which would raise the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic guns from 18 to 21. Families waited all day to testify until the evening hours. The legislature is busy, but that’s despicable. Florida passed a similar bill, which then GOP-Governor Rick Scott signed, following the 2018 Parkland shooting. Both gunmen involved in the Uvalde and Parkland shootings were under 20 years old.
Republicans likely won’t really hear the bill and it won’t pass because, while they’re open to mental health measures and hardening schools, Texas conservatives don’t want to move an inch on guns. While some might suggest a bill like that won’t save many lives — many mass shooters are over 21 — had such a measure been in place and enforced last year, the Uvalde shooting may not have happened.
Looking at the devastation post-Uvalde, one wonders: There are exceptions for law enforcement and the military, so would such a bill really infringe on the gun rights many, including myself, hold dear? Or would it keep a gun out of the hands of someone too immature to make good choices?
Criminals will still find ways to get guns. So, is a bill like that an infringement of the Second Amendment that makes the playing field more uneven for law-abiding citizens, or is it a common-sense law based on what we’ve learned? If it saves 17 lives a year and keeps hundreds of law-abiding citizens from owning that type of weapon for two years, is it worth it? Florida Republicans thought so, what about Texas Republicans? They would do well to have these discussions, instead of shutting them out, which is typically their reflex on any bill that restricts guns.
Many of these policies are good ideas, but none of them will keep our kids and schools safe unless we enforce the laws currently in place and enforce protocols that Abbott put in place in 2019. We must also continue to reinforce the importance of community, looking out for one another, remaining watchful for those who might act out due to mental illness or just plain malice.
Neither Republicans nor Democrats can pass laws everyone will follow, which is why crime still exists. But Republicans must continue to try and address all aspects of school safety, whether it’s locking doors or looking at guns.
