AUSTIN — In the wake of Friday’s deadly shooting at Santa Fe High School, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott plans to convene “roundtable discussions” on how to curb gun violence. But given his strong pro-gun rights record, some gun control advocates are skeptical about his ability to adequately address the issue.
“He’s said things in the past like, ‘I will sign any gun rights bill that reaches my desk,’ so it’s pretty clear where he has stood” said Ed Scruggs, spokesman and vice chair of the board of Texas Gun Sense, a nonpartisan organization that works to reduce gun violence. Abbott made that remark at a press conference in February 2015, according to the Texas Tribune.
“His whole reputation as governor has been built around Second Amendment issues,” Scruggs said. “He’s really played to the base.”
Julie Gavran, the western director of the organization Keep Guns off Campus, isn’t convinced Abbott’s serious about tackling the issue.
“He’s running for re-election … and a lot of this is to gain votes,” she said. “I’m just going to say it.”
Abbott’s office did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment.
“It’s time in Texas that we take action to step up,” Abbott said at a press conference Friday, “and make sure this tragedy is never repeated ever again in the history of the state of Texas.”
“We want to hear from parents, we want to hear from students, we want to hear from educators, we want to hear from concerned citizens,” he said. “We want to hear from those who hold the Second Amendment right in high esteem.”
“We want to hear from everybody who has an interest in what has happened today so we can work together on putting together laws that
