Texas Gov. Greg Abbott open to more steps to keep guns from the mentally ill
AUSTIN – After a three-hour meeting behind closed doors with people on both sides of the gun rights debate, Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday he favors making it easier and faster to identify people with mental health issues and family violence histories so that they can be barred from purchasing guns.
The governor, in his second of three roundtable discussions on gun safety, made clear that before officials move to deny someone the right to have a gun that all legal processes are followed. The discussions were initiated after last week's deadly shooting at Santa Fe High School, which came just over six months after the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs.
But in his remarks after the discussion, Abbott focused more on addressing the larger issue of mental health than he did about expanding gun regulations in Texas.
"One thing that seemed to be agreed upon by everyone in this room and that is that early intervention is essential, especially as it concerns mental health," Abbott told reporters and members of the roundtable, which included legislative leaders who focus on public health matters and several members of the private sector who focus on the mental well-being of children.
Read more: https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/news/local/texas/state-bureau/2018/05/23/abbott-violence-mental-illness-must-flagged-before-gun-purchase/636927002/
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