Tag Archives: gun control

Senate committee makes small Uvalde recommendations

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Par for the course. A special Texas Senate committee that convened in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting made a series of policy recommendations Wednesday regarding school and gun safety, mental health, social media and police training. In an … Continue reading →

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Texas drops appeal of ruling that forbade banning the sale of handguns to people under 21

Posted on December 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Least surprising headline of the week. And month, and year, and pretty much any other arbitrary timeline you choose. Texas will no longer fight to ban 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying handguns in public. A judge ruled earlier this year … Continue reading →

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More on the limits of social media monitoring for school violence prevention

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Some good stuff from the DMN. When Social Sentinel representatives pitched their service to Florida’s Gulf Coast State College in 2018, they billed it as an innovative way to find threats of suicides and shootings posted online. But for the … Continue reading →

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Uvalde class action lawsuit over mass shooting officially filed

Posted on December 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been waiting for this. Survivors of the fatal mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, have filed a $27 billion class action lawsuit against multiple law enforcement agencies in Texas, according to court documents. The lawsuit, filed … Continue reading →

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Another lawsuit filed by Uvalde parents

Posted on November 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Another one to watch. The mother of a 10-year-old killed in the Uvalde school shooting has filed a federal lawsuit against the gun-maker and seller, the city of Uvalde, its school district and several law enforcement officers. Sandra Torres’ daughter … Continue reading →

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DPS asks to be rewarded for its abject failure at Uvalde

Posted on November 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I like to think that I don’t get easily shocked, but this did it to me. The Texas Department of Public Safety wants $1.2 billion to turn its training center north of Austin into a full-time statewide law enforcement academy … Continue reading →

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Sen. Gutierrez begins his mission to be a pest about Uvalde

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

One of the things I’ll be watching this session. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio has pre-filed three bills ahead of Texas’ next legislative session that would reform state gun laws and set up a state fund to compensate … Continue reading →

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If all we ever do are defensive measures, we’ll never make any progress

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not saying we shouldn’t do these things, although some of them definitely should be questioned. I am saying we can’t just do things like these. The Texas Education Agency announced Thursday a plethora of proposals that would, among other … Continue reading →

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Sen. Gutierrez vows to be a pest about Uvalde and gun control in the next session

Posted on November 11, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’m rooting for him. As he watched a couple load ice chests into their car at a gas station, something didn’t sit right with Roland Gutierrez. The pair were likely on their way to the lake to enjoy the late … Continue reading →

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We have different definitions of “failure”

Posted on October 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

And by “we”, I mean DPS head Steve McCraw and everybody else. Weeks after Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw said he would resign if his troopers had “any culpability” in the botched police response to the Uvalde … Continue reading →

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In which I pay a few minutes’ attention to the Miss USA pageant

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

What can I say? I love some controversy in niche competitive events. Just days after Miss Texas USA R’Bonney Gabriel was crowned Miss USA, several other contestants have accused the pageant of favoritism and rigging the competition. During the live broadcast, several … Continue reading →

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Texas to appeal that ridiculous ruling that forbade banning handgun sales to those under 21

Posted on October 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Now we’ll see if their heart is in it. Texas is gearing up to fight a judge’s ruling that the state can’t ban adults under 21 from carrying handguns, a move that’s drawing anger from some gun rights groups. … Continue reading →

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Uvalde parents file lawsuit against multiple defendants

Posted on September 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Keep an eye on this one. The first major lawsuit has been filed over the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde by the families of three surviving students. “The horrors of May 24, 2022, were only possible because … Continue reading →

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Five DPS agents being investigated for their Uvalde actions

Posted on September 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. It just can’t be the end. Five Texas Department of Public Safety officers who responded to the Uvalde school shooting in May will face an investigation into their actions at Robb Elementary, the agency said. The officers … Continue reading →

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Abbott weasels on raising the minimum age to buy an assault weapon

Posted on September 2, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Typical. Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that it would be unconstitutional to increase the minimum age to buy assault-style rifles from 18 to 21 years old — a key proposal Uvalde parents have called for after an 18-year-old gunned down … Continue reading →

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The gaps in Texas’ background check law

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

From Pro Publica: In the spring of 2009, Elliott Naishtat persuaded his colleagues in the Texas Legislature to pass a bill that he believed would require the state to report court-ordered mental health hospitalizations for Texans of all ages to … Continue reading →

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The Lege sure thinks a lot of companies need to be coddled

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s kind of amazing, actually. Texas banned 10 financial firms from doing business with the state after Comptroller Glenn Hegar said Wednesday that they did not support the oil and gas industry. Hegar, a Republican running for reelection in November, … Continue reading →

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More on the Uvalde class action lawsuit

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A few more details, anyway. Charles Bonner served the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District with the multibillion-dollar claim Monday, requesting compensation for the victims. Bonner told The Texas Tribune he intended to serve Uvalde city leaders on Tuesday evening at … Continue reading →

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Judge rules Texas cannot ban handgun sales to 18-to-20-year olds

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

WTAF? A federal court in Fort Worth on Thursday struck down a Texas prohibition that limited adults under 21 from carrying handguns. Texas law bars most 18- to 20-year-olds in the state from obtaining a license to carry a handgun … Continue reading →

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Class action lawsuit for Uvalde parents being prepped

Posted on August 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

There are a lot of blanks to be filled in for this. You can be sure I’ll be watching for them. Some of the families affected by the Robb Elementary School mass shooting are now a part of a major … Continue reading →

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A long look at the lack of accountability in Uvalde

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

CNN has a very long piece about how there are many investigations going on about the Uvalde massacre but seemingly little to hold anyone accountable for it. Uvalde residents, especially the parents of Robb Elementary children, are increasingly frustrated with … Continue reading →

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Motherfuckergate

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sometimes, I just enjoy a a story about swearing. Beto O’Rourke confronted a heckler Wednesday at a campaign event who laughed while he was talking about the Uvalde school shooting, telling the person, “It may be funny to you, motherfucker, … Continue reading →

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DPS can keep Uvalde info secret for now

Posted on August 11, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Hopefully not for much longer. A state district judge ruled Wednesday that the Department of Public Safety does not have to turn over records related to the Uvalde school shooting sought by state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who had sued the … Continue reading →

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House passes assault weapon ban

Posted on July 31, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Another bill that won’t pass the Senate, but nonetheless shows the gap in values and priorities between the two parties. As the House passed legislation to ban assault weapons for the first time in nearly two decades Friday, Democrats pointed … Continue reading →

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Uvalde school board asks for a special session on guns

Posted on July 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

They’re not going to get it, just like everyone else who has asked that Greg Abbott Do Something about them. The Uvalde school board is formally urging Gov. Greg Abbott to call state lawmakers back to Austin so they can … Continue reading →

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Protecting those poor, discriminated against gun manufacturers

Posted on July 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Texas lawmakers, frustrated with what they viewed as liberal political activism from some of the titans of American industry, banned banks last year from doing business with Texas municipalities unless they could … Continue reading →

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Uvalde school superintendent recommends firing Arredondo

Posted on July 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I suspect he’ll get his wish. Uvalde school officials will decide the fate of district police Chief Pete Arredondo during a special meeting Saturday after Superintendent Hal Harrell recommended the police chief’s firing. The meeting falls almost two months after … Continue reading →

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House committee report on the Uvalde massacre

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The special State House committee that was tasked with investigating the response to the Uvalde mass shooting released its report yesterday. The report identified numerous failures, in law enforcement and in the school and in other systems, though it’s clear … Continue reading →

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Are we going to get law enforcement video from Uvalde or not?

Posted on July 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Still waiting. A bureaucratic spat over whether to release video from inside Robb Elementary School during the May 24 mass shooting grew increasingly complex on Monday after a key Texas state legislator suggested that there was now finally an agreement … Continue reading →

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We’re number one in the worst way

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Bad and getting worse. When a disturbed teenager in Uvalde sought a high-powered rifle that could fire numerous rounds, he didn’t have far to go. Texas has more licensed gun dealers and manufacturers than any other state, according to a … Continue reading →

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A few words about the state of the Governor’s race

Posted on July 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

There are many factors. A school shooting in Uvalde that left 19 children and two teachers dead. The end of a nearly 50-year-old constitutional right to an abortion. A history-making spring in Texas is laying the groundwork for a contentious … Continue reading →

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UT/Texas Politics Project poll: Abbott 45, Beto 39

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

One more pre-Dobbs result to consider. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s lead over Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke narrowed to 6 points last month, according to a poll conducted by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin. That’s … Continue reading →

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Uvalde updates

Posted on July 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Too much news, so time for a news dump. Uvalde shooting victims aren’t getting compensated from state fund as intended, officials say. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez and Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin said Monday that families of the Uvalde shooting victims … Continue reading →

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Congressional Dems ask Paxton to release Uvalde info

Posted on June 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

He won’t, because he sucks, but you gotta ask. Nine Democratic members of the U.S. House from Texas on Tuesday called on Attorney General Ken Paxton to order the release of government records related to the May 24 school shooting … Continue reading →

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