Gov. Greg Abbott sent a joint letter Wednesday, June 1, to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Speaker Dade Phelan requesting the Texas Legislative leaders convene special committees following the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that left 19 children and two teachers dead.

The committees are charged with examining and developing legislative recommendations on school safety, mental health, social media, police training, firearm safety and more.

“As Texans mourn the tragedy that occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, we as a state must reassess the twin issues of school safety and mass violence,” Abbott said in the June 1 letter. “As leaders, we must come together at this time to provide solutions to protect all Texans.”

Abbott urged Patrick and Phelan to create the committees and review steps enacted by previous legislatures, list what resources the state has made available to local school districts and make recommendations to the Legislature and Abbott so that meaningful action can be taken.

“It is important to begin the process immediately,” Abbott said. “In the meantime, the Texas Rangers and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will continue to thoroughly investigate every aspect of this heinous crime, as well as the response to it.”

The Texas Legislature operates under a biennial system, meaning it only meets every two years. It will next meet at noon Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023, to convene the regular session.

Later in the day, Abbott sent a second letter to Kathy Martinez-Prather, director of the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC), asking her to begin conducting comprehensive school safety reviews to ensure all Texas public schools are following appropriate procedures to maximize school safety.

For the full story, see the June 9 issue of The Sachse News.