In the wake of a deadly school shooting in his state, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is pointing his finger at Chicago to argue the case for why he opposes stricter gun laws. At a May 25 press conference, the governor said, “I hate to say this, there are more people that are shot every weekend in Chicago than there are in schools in Texas,” Abbott said. “So, if you’re looking for a real solution, Chicago teaches that what you’re talking about is not a real solution.”

But Illinois Democrats, including the state’s governor and Chicago Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, are clapping back and telling Abbott to stay in his lane.
https://twitter.com/GovPritzker/status/1529538989140623361
https://twitter.com/LoriLightfoot/status/1529559732188479488

Texas’s top public safety official said officers on the scene failed to follow protocol at the Uvalde elementary school shooting, with officers standing in the hallway as children in the classroom called 911 as their classmates were killed.

At a Friday afternoon press conference, state Director of Public Safety Steven McCraw said that 19 officers stood in the hallway outside the fourth grade classrooms on Tuesday while students inside the classroom called 911 for help. McCraw said the on-site commander, school district Police Chief Pete Arredondo, thought there was no longer a threat to the children inside, so he waited for nearly an hour to breach the room because the gunman had locked the door.

“From the benefit of hindsight, where I'm sitting now, of course it was not the right decision,” McCraw said. “It was the wrong decision, period. There is no excuse for that. But again, I wasn't there, I'm just telling you, from what we know, we believe there should've been an entry as soon as you can.”

When asked why authorities didn’t enter the Robb Elementary classroom, McCraw said that “it was believed at the time that the subject was stationary, barricaded and there was no risk to other children.” But, he said, “clearly there were kids in the room, clearly they were at risk, and, oh, by the way, even when you go back to shooting, there may be kids that were injured, they may be shot but injured, and it’s important for lifesaving purposes to immediately get there and render aid.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday ripped into Rep. Lauren Boebert over her anti-gun regulation stance following a mass shooting at a Texas elementary school that left at least 19 children and two adults dead.

The mass killing on Tuesday reignited conversations among Democrats on Capitol Hill about gun-reform legislation, whereas Republicans largely appeared skeptical about taking federal policy actions to combat gun violence.

"You cannot legislate away evil," Boebert, a Colorado Republican, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday morning.

Ocasio-Cortez seized on Boebert's comments, tweeting: "Why even be in Congress if you don't believe in doing your job?"

"Just quit and let someone who actually gives a damn do it instead of acting like a useless piece of furniture when babies are shot with AR15s that we let teen boys impulse buy before they can legally have a beer," the New York Democrat added, referring to state laws that allow 18-year-olds to buy assault rifles.

You would think, after the House Bill 2 backlash that occurred in 2016, North Carolina Republicans might think twice before pouring gasoline on the flames of divisive social issues.

Obviously not.

Republican lawmakers jumped headfirst into the culture war again Tuesday, attempting to police public education with what they call a “parents’ bill of rights.” The legislation, which was introduced Tuesday, bears a remarkable resemblance to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill recently passed in Florida. That bill sparked nationwide criticism, as well as retaliation from major companies like Disney. In the months since, more than a dozen states have proposed similar legislation.