Latest news with #HouseBill33
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Uvalde Strong Act' passes Texas Senate amid calls for bolder action
A bill that aims to better prepare law enforcement agencies to respond to mass shootings to avoid a repeat of the 2022 massacre at a Uvalde elementary school sailed through the Texas Senate and will likely be on its way to the governor's desk soon — but some fear the measure does not go far enough to prevent future tragedies. House Bill 33, titled the "Uvalde Strong Act," passed the upper chamber unanimously Monday after clearing the House with no opposition April 29. The House is expected to concur with Senate tweaks to the legislation and send it for a gubernatorial signature. On May 24, 2022, three years ago this Saturday, a gunman entered Robb Elementary School and killed 19 children and two teachers, marking the state's deadliest school mass shooting. As the tragedy unfolded, nearly 400 police officers waited more than an hour to confront the shooter. HB 33 introduces a slew of new requirements for schools and first responders. It requires school districts and multiple law enforcement agencies to meet together each year for planning and training, and it mandates annual mass shooting exercises. It requires the Texas Department of Public Safety to make agreements with local agencies detailing how the departments would coordinate with one another during an emergency. The legislation also gives responding officers the ability to override an incident commander and take control of a scene if the officer believes the response is inadequate or the situation is unsafe. It requires responding agencies to prepare a preliminary report by 60 days after an incident. "This tragedy has exposed critical failures in law enforcement preparedness, response coordination and school safety protocols, making it clear that Texas must take action to address our current shortcomings and future readiness for active shooter situations," said Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, who sponsored the bill in the Senate. More: 'Uvalde Strong Act' passes unanimously out of Texas House Committee: 'One step closer' The bill is the first from freshman state Rep. Don McLaughlin, who was Uvalde's mayor during the 2022 shooting, and was identified as a priority by House Speaker Dustin Burrows, who led the lower chamber's investigation into the botched shooting response. McLaughlin, a Republican who now represents the South Texas town of about 15,000, praised the bill's passage in a statement Monday. "This is about keeping our schools safer and making sure law enforcement and first responders are never set up to fail," McLaughlin wrote. "We owe it to the families to take action that actually matters. HB 33 does that." But San Antonio Democratic Sen. Roland Gutierrez, whose district includes Uvalde, said "more must be done" to heal from from the shooting and prevent future tragedies. "We need to do better on common sense gun safety solutions. We need to do better on how we take care of people after these things happen. We need to do better on victims compensation funds," Gutierrez said on the Senate floor. "I promise you, and sadly, this will happen again, no matter how many pieces of legislation we put up, until we begin to truly look at the root problems that are hurting us in this state on gun violence." Brett Cross, whose 10-year-old son Uziyah was killed in the Robb Elementary shooting, told the American-Statesman on Tuesday at the Capitol that the bill won't stop future tragedies but is instead a "reactionary measure ... just to placate people." "If (McLaughlin) wants to put out a bill that will actually save children's lives, that could have saved Uziyah and all the other ones in Uvalde, it would have been to raise the age (to buy assault weapons from 18 to 21). It would have been red flag laws. It would have been safe storage laws. It would have been universal background checks; to end the gun show loophole," Cross said. "The Republicans, especially in Texas, do not care about the youth. They do not care about our children. They care about the money that they make from the NRA." Staff writer Bayliss Wagner contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Legislature OKs Uvalde Strong Act to bolster shooting response
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Improved response to mass shooting is goal of ‘Uvalde Strong' bill approved by Texas Legislature
(The Texas Tribune) — The Texas Senate gave unanimous approval on Monday to a bill that would improve how law enforcement responds to mass shootings. The bill was proposed by state Rep. Don McLaughlin, who was the mayor of Uvalde when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary school in 2022. It now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk for final approval. House Bill 33 would mandate law enforcement agencies across the state to create crisis response policies. This stems from the shooting in Uvalde, where nearly 400 law enforcement officers waited more than an hour before confronting the shooter who barricaded himself in a classroom. That delay went against nationwide active shooter protocols and was widely criticized as the shooting was investigated. During the discussion on the Senate floor, state Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, stressed the importance of the bill, named the Uvalde Strong Act. Flores reminded lawmakers that the bill won unanimous approval in the Texas House. 'This bill is carrying out what we feel should be done to make sure the response of Texas is coordinated, professional, efficient and humane throughout the state,' Flores said. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, called it a good bill. However, he also told lawmakers a delayed response from law enforcement happened at Uvalde. 'There was a failure at every level,' Gutierrez said. Gutierrez went over some of the chaos that day, including how one victim died in the parking lot because there was too much traffic from police vehicles. Gutierrez said they need to improve 'common sense' gun safety solutions and how people are taken care of after mass tragedies. Gutierrez said the families of the victims received less money from the Attorney General's office than any other mass shooting in the state. 'Sadly, this will happen again, no matter how many pieces of legislation we put up,' Gutierrez said. 'Until we begin to truly look at the root problems that are hurting us in this state on gun violence.' In a statement, McLaughlin said the bill ensures confusion and hesitation will never be an excuse again. 'It demands clear command, real-time coordination, and immediate actions when lives are on the line. We can't undo the past, but today we made sure Texas is ready for the future,' McLaughlin said. The bill has several requirements in it that could create a more organized response to another mass shooting. It would require school districts and law enforcement to meet annually and plan their response to an active shooter situation and mandate officers to complete a training program on how to respond to an active shooter at primary and secondary schools. It would also provide training grants for officers. McLaughlin, who was critical of the response to the shooting in Uvalde, also included in his bill a requirement that policy and emergency medical service providers file a report detailing the event if they respond to an active shooter scene. The report would be due no later than 60 days after an incident — a requirement aimed at giving the public faster information on mass shootings. 'This is a good bill for school safety, law enforcement coordination, communication and training,' McLaughlin said. The Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde is the deadliest shooting at a Texas public school. Families of the victims have sued officers and law enforcement agencies over the failed response, including 92 officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Former Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo and one of his former officers were also charged with multiple counts of child endangerment. Investigations into the shooting revealed an uncoordinated response among law enforcement officers responding to the shooting. Officers reportedly waited for instructions, couldn't find the right keys to enter classrooms, and were fearful of an AR-15 style rifle as there was a lack of ballistic shields and flash-bangs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Improved response to mass shooting is goal of 'Uvalde Strong' bill approved by Texas House
The Texas House gave unanimous approval on Tuesday to a bill that would improve how law enforcement responds to mass shootings. The bill was proposed by state Rep. Don McLaughlin, who was the mayor of Uvalde when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary school in 2022. House Bill 33 would mandate law enforcement agencies across the state to create crisis response policies. This stems from the shooting in Uvalde, where nearly 400 law enforcement officers waited more than an hour before confronting the shooter who barricaded himself in a classroom. That delay went against nationwide active shooter protocols and was widely criticized as the shooting was investigated. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. In a statement, McLaughlin said the bill ensures confusion and hesitation will never be an excuse again. McLaughlin said: 'It demands clear command, real-time coordination, and immediate actions when lives are on the line. We can't undo the past, but today we made sure Texas is ready for the future.' The bill has several requirements in it that could create a more organized response to another mass shooting. It would require school districts and law enforcement to meet annually and plan their response to an active shooter situation and mandate officers to complete a training program on how to respond to an active shooter at primary and secondary schools. It would also provide training grants for officers. McLaughlin, who was critical of the response to the shooting in Uvalde, also included in his bill a requirement that policy and emergency medical service providers file a report detailing the event if they respond to an active shooter scene. The report would be due no later than 60 days after an incident — a requirement aimed at giving the public faster information on mass shootings. Ahead of the vote, McLaughlin spoke about the support he's received about the bill in committee meetings. 'This is a good bill for school safety, law enforcement coordination, communication and training,' McLaughlin said. Cheers erupted in the room when the final vote was announced. The Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde is the deadliest shooting at a Texas public school. Families of the victims have sued officers and law enforcement agencies over the failed response, including 92 officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Former Uvalde schools police Chief Pete Arredondo and one of his former officers were also charged with multiple counts of child endangerment. Investigations into the shooting revealed an uncoordinated response among law enforcement officers responding to the shooting. Officers reportedly waited for instructions, couldn't find the right keys to enter classrooms, and were fearful of an AR-15 style rifle as there was a lack of ballistic shields and flash-bangs. Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cancer survivors, advocates push Ohio Senate for preventative screening access
Apr. 29—Springfield resident and prostate cancer survivor Tom Pamer was one of many to make his way to the Ohio Statehouse this week to advocate for legislation that he hopes will help save lives. Pamer and 100 other survivors took part in the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network's Ohio Advocacy Day and urged Ohio lawmakers to require all private insurers cover biomarker testing and prostate cancer screenings. The event comes as the Ohio Senate considers the changes it wants to make to the state's operating budget, a sprawling bill filled with new bills and appropriations to direct state spending over the next two years. Pamer's primary concern was with the bipartisan House Bill 33, which would require insurers to cover preventative prostate cancer screenings for men over 40 with a higher risk of prostate cancer. Pamer himself was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 after taking a preliminary blood test that measured the level of prostate-specific antigens, or PSA, in his system. "That is one of our asks today, that everyone is able to have their PSA test covered whether under-insured or uninsured," Pamer said. "Hopefully, then, everyone would have the same results I did: finding it early, (undergoing) early treatment, and now (there's) no evidence of disease." Prostate cancer, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, is the most common cancer among American men. Advocates were also pushing House Bill 8, which would require private insurers to cover certain biomarker tests — which help identify cancer and the best forms of treatment — if prescribed by a doctor. That bill was passed last year before it stalled out in the Ohio Senate. It was reintroduced this year by state Rep. Andrea White, R-Kettering, who told this outlet Tuesday that she'd be "thrilled" if it wound up in the Senate's budget. ------ For more stories like this, sign up for our Ohio Politics newsletter. It's free, curated, and delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday evening. Avery Kreemer can be reached at 614-981-1422, on X, via email, or you can drop him a comment/tip with the survey below.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Uvalde Strong Act' passes Texas House, requires statewide active shooter protocol
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Efforts to beef up a better law enforcement response in school shootings is making its way through the legislative process. House Bill 33, which establishes a statewide active shooter protocol, passed in the Texas House on Monday. It's called the Uvalde Strong Act. The legislation honors the victims of the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde. In May 2022, a gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers. More than 370 officers from several law enforcement agencies responded and waited more than an hour to confront and kill the gunman. State Rep. Don McLaughlin, R-Uvalde, the bill's author and former Uvalde mayor, said he was one of the first people on scene that day. 'There was chaos everywhere. Leadership was nowhere to be found. Agencies deflected blame instead of stepping up. The response just wasn't delayed. It was disorganized, directionless and deadly.' State Representative Don McLaughlin, R-Uvalde He said the bill proposes that law enforcement train alongside school districts to better prepare for active shooter incidents. It would create a clear and unified statewide response protocol. Back in 2022, a Texas House investigative committee released a report that claimed it could not find one person or one decision responsible for the shooting, but rather several failures paired with a chaotic environment that led to miscommunications and delayed responses. Uvalde report finds 'systemic failures and egregiously poor decision making' 'The bill mandates joint training exercises clear change of command and demands real time coordination between law enforcement and school districts,' McLaughlin said. The legislation would also require agencies, like school district police departments, to have a public information officer who is certified in emergency communications. 'In Uvalde, in four days, the story changed five times so nobody knew what was going on,' McLaughlin said. 'We didn't get straight answers.' McLaughlin said seven of the major law enforcement agencies gave their full support for this bill. It will now go to the Senate for a vote. 'There's nothing that anybody on this floor could say that would undo the tragedy of what happened in your community, but I think it's important that it's your first bill on this floor as a direct response to the failures that took place that day, and I'm grateful for the work you did on this welcome to the Texas House,' said State Rep. Joe Moody, D- El Paso. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
