(SWOOSH)
(MUSIC)
JOSH: A TEXAS TASK FORCE
BEGINS THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS
AFTER THE SHOOTINGS IN EL PASO.
ABBOTT: WE PLOWED A LOT OF
GROUND AND WE GOT OFF TO WHAT WE
CONSIDER TO BE A GOOD START.
JOSH: TEXAS LAWMAKERS ARE
SHAPING THE DEBATE.
BLANCO: THIS IS HAPPENING ON
OUR WATCH, AND THIS IS OUR
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THINGS
RIGHT.
JOSH: HOW THE WORK FROM THESE
MEETINGS COULD SHAPE NEW LAWS IN
TEXAS. THE TRAGEDY IN EL PASO
HAS SOME PEOPLE LOOKING TO
WASHINGTON.
MCCAUL: ...I DO THINK THAT
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT
CONGRESS TO ACT. THEY WANT US TO
DO SOMETHING MORE.
JOSH: ONE TEXAS CONGRESSMAN
SAYS HE HAS A PLAN. HEAR HIS
IDEAS TO PUMP UP BACKGROUND
CHECKS AND TO PREDICT DANGEROUS
BEHAVIOR.
(MUSIC)
JOSH: HELLO AND THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US FOR STATE OF TEXAS.
I'M JOSH HINKLE.
GOVERNOR ABBOTT SAYS CLOSING
GAPS IN BACKGROUND CHECKS SHOULD
BE ONE PART OF HOW THE STATE
ADDRESSES GUN VIOLENCE.
THAT'S ONE IDEA THAT CAME OUT OF
THE FIRST MEETING OF THE TEXAS
SAFETY COMMISSION - WHICH THE
GOVERNOR FORMED AFTER THE
SHOOTING IN EL PASO. STEFFI LEE
SHOWS US OTHER SOLUTIONS THEY'RE
TARGETING.
DR. JUAN MARTINEZ, CLINT ISD
SUPT.: I THINK PEOPLE NEED TO
SEE LAWMAKERS NEED TO SEE THE
HUMAN TRAGEDY - MY STUDENT WAS
NOT A REPUBLICAN OR A DEMOCRAT.
STEFFI: DR. JUAN MARTINEZ'S
STUDENT WAS JAVIER RODRIGUEZ.
THE 15-YEAR-OLD WAS ONE OF THE
22 KILLED IN THE DEADLY ATTACK
IN EL PASO.
DR. JUAN MARTINEZ: HE CAN NO
LONGER RUN, HE CAN NO LONGER
PLAY SOCCER - HE CAN NO LONGER
GRADUATE. HIS LIFE IS OVER. 15
YEARS OLD. AND THAT IS BEYOND
POLITICS.
GOV. GREG ABBOTT: THERE ARE
UNIQUE ISSUES ABOUT WHAT
HAPPENED IN EL PASO THAT NEED TO
BE ADDRESSED IN ADDITION TO THE
TYPE OF VIOLENCE THAT WE SAW IN
SANTA FE.
STEFFI: THE TEXAS SAFETY
COMMISSION THURSDAY SPENT MORE
THAN TWO HOURS IN THIS ROOM.
DRILLING DOWN ON HOW TO PREVENT
GUN VIOLENCE.
GOV. GREG ABBOTT: THERE IS
SOMETIMES A LAG OF THE TIME
PERIOD FROM WHEN THE PERSON IS
CONVICTED OF THE CRIME TO WHEN
THE INFORMATION IS REPORTED TO
THE TIME THAT IT WOULD GET TO
WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE OF THE
BACKGROUND CHECK.
STEFFI: THEY'LL STUDY THE
ROOTS AND GROWTH OF DOMESTIC
TERRORISM AND HATE SPEECH.
COL. STEVE MCCRAW, TEXAS DPS:
FREE SPEECH MEANS THERE IS SOME
HATEFUL SOME DISTURBING THINGS
THAT ARE SAID OVER THE INTERNET
AND UNLESS IT'S A CRIME WE CAN'T
MONITOR IT SO THAT'S WHY IT'S
IMPORTANT THAT THESE COMPANIES
WORK WITH US SO THEY CAN
IDENTIFY THINGS THAT REALLY ARE
PRECURSORS TO VIOLENCE.
STEFFI: AND EL PASO-AREA
LAWMAKERS BELIEVE, THEY CAN MAKE
A DIFFERENCE.
REP. MARY GONZALEZ, D-CLINT:
WE'VE SEEN DURING PARTS OF OUR
STATE HISTORY AND OUR COUNTRY'S
HISTORY - WE HAVE TACKLED ISSUES
OF RACISM AND SEXISM THROUGH
POLICY AND WE INSTITUTIONALIZE
CHANGE, SO I'M NOT GIVING UP.
STEFFI: THE TEXAS SAFETY
COMMISSION WILL MEET IN EL PASO
NEXT THURSDAY. THE NEWLY FORMED
DOMESTIC TERRORISM TASK FORCE
WILL ALSO HOLD A MEETING NEXT
FRIDAY. AT THE TEXAS CAPITOL,
STEFFI LEE, JOSH BACK TO YOU.
JOSH: MEMBERS OF THE
LEGISLATURE FROM EL PASO WILL
PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THE WORK OF
THE SAFETY COMMISSION. JOINING
US NOW IS STATE REPRESENTATIVE
CESAR BLANCO - A DEMOCRAT FROM
EL PASO. WELCOME.
BLANCO: THANK YOU. IT'S GREAT
TO BE WITH YOU.
JOSH: WHAT ARE YOUR
TAKEAWAYS. WHAT DO YOU HOPE
COMES OUT OF THESE MEETINGS?
BLANCO: WELL, NUMBER ONE, I
THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT
OUR COMMUNITY HAS THE ABILITY TO
HEAL FROM THIS TRAGIC EVENT THAT
OCCURRED IN OUR COMMUNITY OF EL
PASO. BUT, IMPORTANTLY I THINK
THERE'S A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD
ADDRESSING HATE CRIMES IN OUR
STATE. WHAT THE MEDIUMS ARE
WHERE A LOT OF THESE WHITE
SUPREMACY GROUPS AND HATE GROUPS
ARE OPERATING. A LOT OF THEM ARE
ON THE INTERNET. AND THEN OF
COURSE TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT WE
CAN DO TO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE
IMPLEMENTING GUN SAFETY
PROPOSALS SO THESE TRAGEDIES
DON'T CONTINUE TO OCCUR EN
MASSE.
JOSH: YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THE
NEED FOR EVERYONE TO BE MINDFUL
OF THE LANGUAGE THEY USE MOVING
FORWARD. WHY IS THAT SO
IMPORTANT?
BLANCO: I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT ABOUT HOW WE TALK
ABOUT IMMIGRANTS, ABOUT HOW
LEADERS OF OUR COUNTRY AND OUR
STATE TALK ABOUT INDIVIDUALS
THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITIES. SO
I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT
WE'RE CAREFUL, THAT THERE'S
SENSITIVITY ESPECIALLY IN THE
AFTERMATH OF THIS HORRIBLE
TRAGEDY THAT WAS CAUSED BY A
WHITE SUPREMACIST WHO KILLED 22
PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK
WE NEED TO BEGIN TO HEAL, NOT
ONLY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS BUT
ALSO IN OUR COMMUNITY.
JOSH: YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
THE RISING THREAT OF WHITE
NATIONALISM. HOW CAN THE
COMMISSION AND HOW CAN LAWMAKERS
RESPOND TO THE THREAT?
BLANCO: A COUPLE OF THINGS
THAT CAME TO LIGHT AS WE WORKED
WITH TWITTER, FACEBOOK, GOOGLE
AND OTHERS, IS THERE'S
DEFINITELY A NEED FOR CONTENT
REVIEW. MAKING SURE THAT SOCIAL
MEDIA, ONCE THEY IDENTIFY
HATEFUL RHETORIC, HATEFUL SITES,
HATEFUL PLATFORMS, MAKING SURE
THAT THEY'RE SHUT DOWN.
OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS
PROTECTED. HOWEVER, WHEN PEOPLE
ARE BECOMING RADICALIZED IN
THESE SITES, WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT THERE ARE MECHANISMS
IN PLACE TO MAKING SURE THAT
THEY'RE SHUT DOWN QUICKLY SO
THEY DON'T CONTINUE TO BE
RADICALIZED AND START MASS
SHOOTINGS LIKE THEY DID IN EL
PASO. SO, UH, WHEN WE COME BACK
NEXT WEEK IN EL PASO FOR THE
SECOND ROUNDTABLE I HOPE WE GET
TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE NEXT
STEPS AHEAD.
JOSH: YEAH, HOW DO YOU EXPECT
THAT ONE IS GOING TO BE
DIFFERENT FROM THIS ONE?
BLANCO: WELL THE GOVERNOR
LINED OUT EXACTLY WHAT I THINK
OUR APPROACH SHOULD BE IN EL
PASO, AND I AGREE WITH HIM THAT
IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY HEALING AND
MAKING SURE THAT EL PASO HAS ALL
THE STATE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO
HEAL. THAT'S FROM EVERYTHING TO
MENTAL HEALTH, FROM SECURITY,
FROM BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS A LOT ABOUT
THAT. WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM
EXPERTS IN MENTAL HEALTH. WE'RE
GOING TO HEAR FROM FAITH LEADERS
AND A VARIETY OF FOLKS. OUR
DELEGATION IS GOING TO PROVIDE
AND HAS PROVIDED THE GOVERNOR
WITH A LIST OF INDIVIDUALS THAT
WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR THIS
EVENT. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE
NEED TO HEAR FROM THE VICTIMS
AND THE FAMILIES. WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE'RE ALSO HEARING
THEIR STORIES, THEIR CONCERNS,
THEIR FEELINGS ABOUT HOW WE MOVE
FORWARD FROM THIS TRAGEDY. WE
ALSO WANT TO HEAR INPUT FROM OUR
FIRST RESPONDERS, WHETHER THEY
ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT OR HEALTH
CARE FIRST RESPONDERS, WHAT THE
BEST PRACTICES ARE, WHAT THEY
LEARNED FROM THIS SITUATION, AND
WHAT STEPS WE NEED TO TAKE
FORWARD AS A STATE.
JOSH: YOU RELEASED A
STATEMENT SHORTLY BEFORE THE
HEARING, SAYING YOU FEEL LIKE
YOU OWE IT TO THE VICTIMS TO
MAKE SURE BOLD ACTIONS COME FROM
THESE COMMITTEES. TALK TO US
ABOUT WHY THIS RESONATES SO MUCH
WITH YOU PERSONALLY.
BLANCO: IT'S PERSONAL BECAUSE
22 PEOPLE DIED. IT'S PERSONAL
BECAUSE IT HAPPENED IN OUR
COMMUNITY. IT'S PERSONAL BECAUSE
I SERVE IN THE LEGISLATURE WITH
COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED
MASS SHOOTINGS AS WE DID HERE IN
EL PASO. AND IT'S IMPORTANT AND
RELEVANT BECAUSE WE AS ELECTED
OFFICIALS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN, TO DO
SOMETHING, TO CREATE CHANGE SO
THAT WE'RE KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY
SAFE. THIS IS HAPPENING ON OUR
WATCH. THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY
TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT.
JOSH: REPRESENTATIVE BLANCO,
THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE
WORK YOU'RE DOING.
BLANCO: YOU BET. THANK YOU.
