Davis presses attack on Abbott over chemical plant ruling

[TexasTowelie]

Wrapping up her five-day “Texans Deserve to Know” tour, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis went on the offensive Saturday, telling supporters in Austin that her Republican opponent, Attorney General Greg Abbott, was an “insider working for other insiders.”

Davis’ remarks focused on contributions to Abbott’s campaign from a Koch Industries official and the attorney general’s controversial ruling in May that limited the disclosure of information that reveals where chemical plants are storing hazardous materials.

The information, available in “Tier II” reports, had been available for years under the federal Community Right to Know law, but Abbott’s office ruled that a 2003 state homeland security law prevented public dissemination of the reports on the grounds that terrorists could use the information in them to make a bomb.

In her remarks, Davis recalled two deadly explosions of from Texas history: one at a fertilizer plant last year in West that killed 15 people, and the 1947 Texas City disaster that killed more than 500 people. Both cases involved ammonium nitrate.

More at http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2014-07-13/davis-presses-attack-abbott-over-chemical-plant-ruling#comment-341534 .

[ashling]

1. This should be a big concern for first responders

I have several students in my Texas Govt. class who are firefighters. When the head to a fire at one of these facilities the need to know what they are getting into and what chemicals are stored there. And that is not to mention the already underfunded volunteer fire departments around the state.

I intend t make a big point out of this in my course. I already deal with this, but the whole "just drive around and ask" thing is soooooo stupid.

[Gothmog]

2. Abbott. Is an idiot