Governor Holds Inaugural Meeting Of Texas Safety Commission On Hate, Extremism In Texas
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott today hosted the first meeting of the Texas Safety Commission in Austin. The Governor met with lawmakers, educators, advocates, community leaders, and experts to generate strategies to provide community healing, combat the rise of extremist groups and hateful ideologies, keep guns out of the hands of deranged individuals, and combat domestic terrorism in Texas.
The ideas discussed in the commission meetings will aid in the development of an immediate action plan for the State of Texas.
“It is imperative that Texas develop solutions that not only make our state a better place, but most importantly a safer place,” said Governor Abbott. “Our starting point began today, with the process of exploring all avenues and reviewing all facts to determine how we can prevent another tragedy like the shooting in El Paso from occurring again. I am grateful for the insight and expertise of those who participated in the Texas Safety Commission meeting today, and I look forward to our continued work as we pursue ideas that will keep Texas safe.”
Governor Abbott hosted the first meeting of the Texas Safety Commission, aimed at combating extremism and hate in Texas. He formed this commission in teh wake of shooting in El Paso. Members include: Governor Abbott; Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick; Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen; Senator Jose Rodriguez; Representative Mary Gonzales; Representative Cesar Blanco; Representative Joe Moody; Representative Art Fierro; Senator Joan Huffman – Chairwoman of the Senate State Affairs Committee; Representative Phil King – former police officer and member of the Texas State Guard; Colonel Steven McCraw – Department of Public Safety (DPS); Major David Cabrera – DPS Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division, Texas Fusion Centers; Major Manuel Espinosa, DPS Criminal Investigation Division, Texas Anti-Gang Centers; Matthew DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge, Dallas Federal Bureau of Investigation; Dr. Courtney Phillips, Executive Director, Texas Health and Human Services Commission; Ed Scruggs, Texas Gun Sense; Dr. Juan Martinez, Superintendent, Clint Independent School District; Jeff Murray, Protective Security Advisor, United States Department of Homeland Security; Dr. Lina Alathari, Chief, United States Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center; Dr. Susan Fletcher, Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists; Robert Chesney, Director and James Baker Chair, University of Texas at Austin; Neil Potts, Content Policy Team, Facebook; Tory Mayo, Lead Pastor, The Well Austin; A Representative From Google; Tom Tarantino, Head of US State Public Policy, Twitter; Lonzo Anderson, Assistant Chief, Dallas Police Department; and Karie Gibson, Supervisory Special Agent, Behavioral Analysis Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation.