EL PASO (WBAP/KLIF News) – In the aftermath of the El Paso massacre where 22 people were gunned down by a man who espoused white supremacist views and told police he targeted Hispanics, the League of United Latin American Citizens is calling for action.
LULAC President Domingo Garcia said Governor Greg Abbott and other Texas lawmakers could and should take up this issue in a special legislative session before the next session in 2021.
Speaking on our media partner WFAA TV’s “Inside Texas Politics”, Garcia recalled the special session called by Governor Abbott to deal with the issue of transgendered people and which bathrooms they should use.
“He thought that was a statewide crisis. You have Santa Fe….10 dead people and 20 something wounded. Sutherland Springs Church…22 dead and dozens wounded. Now, El Paso, Texas…22 dead and 30 something wounded. That’s a crisis,” he said.
Since the mass shootings in both El Paso and Dayton, Ohio, where nine people were killed a dozens wounded less than 24 hours after the El Paso massacre, communities, activists and some elected officials have been calling for tougher laws regarding gun control.
“The Governor needs to call a special session. We need to ban assault rifles…these are weapons of mass destruction. We need to keep them out of the hands of mentally unstable people or hate group people like these white supremacists,” said Garcia.
Garcia said people are dying in Texas because of the state’s failure to deal with gun laws and domestic terrorists.
Some North Texas politicians have voiced support for including Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, who signed a letter along with 200 mayors nationwide to strengthen background checks on some gun sales, and Senator Royce West of Dallas.
Governor Abbott fellow Texans from El Paso are the latest victim of domestic terrorism. I know this is a complicated issue but we must look at full background checks#GunControlNow
— Royce West (@SenRoyceWest) August 4, 2019
On a national level, Congress has said it will take up the issue regarding background checks for some gun sales in the next session.
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