Gun reform likely won't be focus of special legislative committees in wake of Uvalde school shooting

Texas House Speaker Dan Phelan said conversations about the issues outlined by Gov. Abbott are already underway, and added that the "House will get to work immediately."

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has called for special legislative committees in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting.

His priorities include school safety, police training, and firearm safety.

It is not the full special session Texas Democrats requested, in hopes of introducing new gun control measures.

Texas House Speaker Dan Phelan said conversations about the issues outlined by Gov. Abbott are already underway, and added that the "House will get to work immediately."

As families in Uvalde continue to bury their loved ones, Gov. Abbott on Wednesday called for special legislative committees eight days after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers inside Robb Elementary School.

The Republican-led committees will be charged with examining and developing legislative recommendations on school safety, mental health, social media, police training, firearm safety, and more.

But there was no mention of gun regulations or restrictions according to the governor's letter, and no immediate indication that Abbott is considering a full special session.

"I think that the committee convening will be the first stage," SMU political scientist Matthew Wilson said.

Wilson said he's not surprised by the move, given the considerable public outcry following the shooting, but added that Democrats will have issues with no gun control items being considered.

"The rub is going to come on the gun control piece of this, because I think Democrats and Republicans will largely be able to agree about certain measures involving police training, involving school security, involving mental health services," he explained. "But Democrats will insist that all of that is peripheral and that the core of this issue is access to deadly weapons by particularly by young people. Republicans will say that that's not the core of the issue."

Instead, they will likely focus on enhanced school security measures and treatment for mental illness.

Meanwhile, on the national front, Texas Senator John Cornyn is leading a bipartisan effort on possible gun control reform.

Unlike in the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature, Democrats in the U.S. Senate would need just ten of their Republican colleagues to join them in passing gun reform.

Still, Wilson believes little may ultimately change.

"The question is, are Democrats willing to advance a package that does not include increased gun restrictions? And I suspect that the answer to that may be no," he said.

Democratic gubernatorial challenger Beto O'Rouke, who interrupted Gov. Abbott’s press conference in Uvalde last week, is holding a gun control rally in Dallas Wednesday afternoon.

The governor can take some action using his executive powers, but ultimately, a special session may have to be called to enact any legislation recommended by the group.