Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Following School Shooting, Texas May Consider 'Red Flag' Law For Guns
Reuters: Texas Considers 'Red Flag' Law In Wake Of School Shooting: Governor
Texas Governor Greg Abbott sought consensus on firearms in a second round of talks on preventing gun violence on campus on Wednesday and may look at "red flag laws" to keep guns out of the hands of people deemed by a judge to be danger to themselves or others. After last week's fatal shooting of 10 people in a Houston-area high school, Abbott invited the Texas State Rifle Association, affiliated with the National Rifle Association, and Texas Gun Sense, which favors tighter gun laws, to join him in Austin, the state capital. (Herskovitz, 5/23)
Texas Tribune: After Santa Fe Shooting Talks, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Expresses Support For Mental Health Checks, Reporting Stolen Guns
After the second day of discussions on school and gun safety in the aftermath of the Santa Fe High School shooting last week, Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday listed several gun-related regulations he said he could support. The Republican governor met with several lawmakers, mental health experts and advocates on both sides of the gun debate to discuss ways to prevent another mass shooting in Texas. (McCullough, 5/23)
Meanwhile —
The Associated Press: After Mass Shootings, NRA Pins Blame On Familiar List
In the aftermath of recent school shootings, a familiar pattern has played out in the debate over guns. Gun-control advocates push for tougher laws, including universal background checks to prohibiting the sale and possession of AR-style long guns. The National Rifle Association and many Republican leaders insist the root of the problem is not guns but a range of issues such as mental health, school security, video games and excessive prescriptions of attention-deficit disorder drugs such as Ritalin. (Pane, 5/23)
New Hampshire Public Radio: Amid Debate Over Gun Policy, An Unlikely Team Finds Some Consensus In N.H.
This often overlooked statistic inspired The Gun Shop Project, an unlikely team of New Hampshire gun owners and public health experts who came together in hopes of curbing gun suicides. Nearly 10 years ago, the group decided the best way to try to do so was to teach employees of gun shops about the signs of suicide and encourage them not to make a sale if they think someone is struggling. (Chooljian, 5/23)
