Greg Abbott Promises To Address Gun Violence, But Not With A Special Legislative Session

This week in Texas politics with The Texas Tribune.

By David BrownAugust 16, 2019 12:04 pm, , ,

It’s time to look at the week that was in Texas politics with Cassi Pollock, reporter for The Texas Tribune.

Gov. Greg Abbott held a town hall Thursday in response to the El Paso mass shooting on Aug. 3. Abbott’s team says the governor has taken the “necessary steps” to respond to the shooting, Pollock says. But there’s growing pressure from Texas Democrats for Abbott to hold a special legislative session.

“Abbott, last night, more or less quashed any sort of speculation or possibility that that could happen,” Pollock says. “He has promised that his office and the legislature will take action to stop future mass-shooting tragedies.”

Abbott has started a domestic terrorism task force in Texas; Pollock says state Republicans support it. Most Democrats support it as well, she says, though Rep. Poncho Nevárez released a statement expressing disappointment that he – chairman of the House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee – wasn’t included in the task force. The task force will meet on Aug. 30.

And, former Florida congressman, Allen West, who moved to Texas in 2014, announced Thursday that he’s running for chair of the Texas Republican Party. He’s challenging James Dickey, who’s held the position since 2017, Pollock says.

“The name alone raises eyebrows for Democrats, just given his history as a congressman and other past public statements or stances that he’s taken,” Pollock says. “He is definitely trying to bill himself as the more conservative candidate in this race.”

Pollock says delegates will elect the new chairman at the Texas Republican Convention in May 2020.

 

Written by Caroline Covington.