AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wants to double the state’s unarmed guard forces, which were stretched thin by Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath.
The Republican announced Saturday at a Veteran’s Day rally in Austin that if re-elected, he’ll seek to expand the Texas State Guard to 5,000 volunteer members. He says it would make Texas better equipped to handle the next disaster.
Abbott mobilized about 12,000 state guard and Texas National Guard members after Harvey battered the coast and left parts of Houston underwater.
Unlike the Texas National Guard, the state guard doesn’t carry guns and can’t be deployed outside of Texas.
Abbott is up for re-election in 2018 and has yet to attract a credible challenger.
