Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and NRA feud over gun background checks
The frequent allies traded jabs in the wake of two mass shootings in Texas. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senate Parliamentarian Karina Davis on the Senate floor on Jan. 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr. / The Texas Tribune. -
Analysis: The delicate balance of protecting Texans in a state that worships guns
Shootings in Odessa and El Paso added pressure on Republican state leaders to do more to protect Texans. But in a state that prides itself on lenient firearms laws, the politics are treacherous. Full Story
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![Governor Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference after a mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso. Aug. 3, 2019.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott issues eight executive orders aimed at stopping potential mass shooters
The orders focus largely on improving reporting channels when members of the public or law enforcement agencies worry that a person might become violent. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott meets with El Paso lawmakers on Wednesday, August 6, 2019. Abbott, along with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, visited the city in the aftermath of Saturday's shooting that left 22 dead at a local WalMart.]()
Credit: Jesus Rosales for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen asks lawmakers to study strengthening laws that keep firearms from felons
"Words alone will not deliver the bold solutions Texas needs in order to defeat the violence that has become far too commonplace in our state," Bonnen said in a statement Wednesday announcing his charges for a select House committee. Full Story
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![Opening Day of the 86th session of the Texas Legislature with action in the Texas House
Election of Speaker Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, by unanimous vote.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House Democrats ask Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session after two mass shootings
Members of the House minority say they want to consider legislation “closing the background check loopholes” and “banning the sale of high-capacity magazines.” Full Story
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![A person attending a vigil for Leilah Hernandez, one of the victims of the Texas shootings in Odessa and Midland, lights a candle on Sept. 2, 2019.]()
Credit: Colin Murphey/San Angelo Standard-Times/USA TODAY NETWORK -
Analysis: Since Texas leaders aren’t doing much about guns, watch what they say
After the Odessa shootings, Gov. Greg Abbott said actions are louder than words. That may be right. But don't forget about the words. Full Story
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![Flanked by El Paso lawmakers, Gov. Greg Abbott talks to the press after meeting with state legislators on Wednesday, August 7, 2019. From left (in front of flag): State Rep. Mary González, D-Clint; state Sen. José Rodríguez, D-El Paso; state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso; Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick; and El Paso state Reps. Cesar Blanco and Lina Ortega. Also present, not pictured: State Rep Art Fierro and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen.]()
Credit: Jesus Rosales for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott urged action after Texas shootings, but the gun debate has placed him “in a tight spot”
More so than ever, the second-term Republican governor finds himself wedged between his party's hard line on gun rights and calls for action on the left. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, hold the first meeting of the Texas Safety Commission at the state capitol Aug. 22, 2019.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Reports: Odessa shooter bought gun via private sale without background check
ABC News reported that the shooter had failed a previous gun purchase background check because he had been diagnosed with a mental illness. Full Story
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![Law enforcement officers outside the Cinergy movie theater in Odessa, where a mass shooter was killed in a shootout with police.]()
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After mass shooting, Odessa’s mayor is "mad as hell" but helping his city cope
David Turner says residents are still in shock. He’s unsure of the solution but is troubled that the gunman was able to obtain a firearm even after failing a background check. Full Story
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![Odessa Mayor David Turner, far right, speaks at a vigil at the University of Texas Permian Basin on Sept. 1, 2019. The Odessa community came together at The University of Texas to pay respect to the victims who were shot and injured in the recent mass shooting.]()
Credit: Colin Murphey/San Angelo Standard-Times via USA TODAY NETWORK -
"The status quo is unacceptable": Walmart will stop selling some ammunition and exit the handgun market
The move comes after fatal shootings in two of its stores, including the deaths of 22 people in El Paso. The retailer will also no longer allow customers to openly carry in stores. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman for The Texas Tribune -
Greg Abbott backs “expedited executions” for mass shooters after Odessa shooting
The governor tweeted Monday night that Texas is “working on a legislative package” and that “expedited executions for mass murderers would be a nice addition.” Full Story
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![From left: State Sens. Jane Nelson, Larry Taylor and state Rep. Greg Bonnen look on as Gov. Greg Abbott talks about bills he's signed to improve school safety and provide greater mental health resources to students, in Austin on June 6, 2019.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
Odessa shooter failed gun background check, Gov. Greg Abbott says
Abbott's tweet doesn't reveal the reason the Odessa man failed the background check or how he obtained the gun used in the mass shooting. Police say the gunman and his company both called 911 shortly before the rampage. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott along with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, hold the first meeting of the Texas Safety Commission at the Texas Capitol August 22, 2019.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
After West Texas shooting, Texas House Rep. says "NO" to gun restrictions
Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, has received a wave of reactions — and criticism — following his tweets reacting to Saturday's Permian Basin shooting. Full Story
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![State Rep. Matt Schaefer, R-Tyler, speaks with a colleague on the House floor during the House School Finance plan deliberation on April 3, 2019.]()
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Death toll in Midland-Odessa mass shooting climbs to eight, including the shooter
Officials say the shooting began with a traffic stop in which the gunman shot a state trooper. Police say the gunman acted alone and was shot to death outside a crowded movie theater. Full Story
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![From left: Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerkeand Gov. Greg Abbot take questions from reporters at a press conference on the University of Texas Permian Basin campus in Odessa on Sunday, September 1, 2019, one day after a mass shooting.]()
Credit: Colin Murphey/ San Angelo Standard-Times/USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERS -
After the El Paso shootings, residents and officials grapple with what's next
El Pasoans spent the week grieving — and worrying about more attacks targeting Hispanics — as politicians had varied ideas for how to prevent mass shootings in the future. Full Story
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El Paso suspect said he was targeting ‘Mexicans,’ told officers he was the shooter, police say
The suspect also confessed to carrying out the shooting rampage when he surrendered to authorities, according to police. Full Story
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![A police unit at the back entrance to a Walmart where a gunman opened fire on back-to-school shoppers on Aug. 3, 2019, in El Paso.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
None of the eight patients being treated at the hospital Trump visited in El Paso wanted to meet with him
Donald Trump visited a hospital in El Paso on Wednesday, where none of the patients being treated agreed to meet with him. “This is a very sensitive time in their lives,” said a spokesperson. Full Story
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![The El Paso Walmart where a gunman opened fire on back-to-school shoppers on Aug. 3, 2019.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Greg Abbott invoked mental illness after the El Paso shooting. There's been no indication that was a factor.
A white gunman killed 22 Hispanic shoppers at an El Paso Walmart Saturday and injured more than two dozen more. Abbott and President Donald Trump were quick to highlight mental health issues. Full Story
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![A woman holds a sign after a silent march to Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center for the victims of the Walmart shootings in El Paso August 4, 2019. Twenty people were killed and more than two dozen were injured in a mass shooting at Walmart on Saturday.]()
Credit: Michael Chow/The Republic via REUTERS -
During Trump's visit, El Paso residents criticized his divisiveness — and lawmakers' inaction on gun laws
Anger and frustration about gun laws — and president's racist language — is becoming more apparent in a city still dealing with grief from what police have said is a racially motivated massacre. Full Story
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![Mary Lou Parker protests President Donald Trump's visit four days after a mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso.]()
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President Trump is talking about red-flag laws. Texas lawmakers have blocked those bills in the past.
In the wake of shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, the president and Congress are discussing laws blocking access to firearms for people considered an imminent threat. But here in Texas, bills that would do that have made little traction. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Leah Millis: Trump | Miguel Gutierrez Jr. : Patrick