Austin, Texas — On Monday, May 21, 2018,  Representative Shawn Thierry (D-Houston) submitted a written appeal to Governor Abbott deeming the issue of gun violence a crisis worthy of calling the Texas legislature back to special session.With 22 national school shootings in 2018 and the Santa Fe High School shooting being the deadliest in Texas since the 1966 UT Tower Shooting, Rep. Thierry stated, “We cannot successfully protect our children, teachers, and families if we continue to operate in a ‘business as usual’ or ‘thoughts and prayers’ mentality.  As a woman of faith, I fervently pray against evil, however, I am also reminded that scripture teaches ‘faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead’. (James 2:17).”

Gov. Abbott recently announced his decision to convene roundtable discussions with diverse stakeholders to discuss more effective ways to protect students from school shootings. Representative Thierry also requested the opportunity to have a seat at the Governor’s roundtable discussions and stated that the legislature must act swiftly, putting politics aside in order to save lives.

As a member of the Texas legislature and a mother of a rising first grader, Representative Thierry has a unique standing and passion to work on legislation to solve the issue of gun violence in our schools.  She shared, “My constituents are fearful about the safety of their children, and I must take action to address their concerns.  In my role as a mom, when taking my daughter to school, I too, now live under the fear of whether my child is going to make it back home to me alive. ”

“This is a pivotal moment in time for the leadership in Texas to set an example for the nation.  We must demonstrate that our great state of Texas has the resolve and the will to provide the necessary resources to better ensure the safety of our children.  We also need action from our federal government, but in the meantime, we must show that Texas will lead the way,” remarked Rep. Thierry.