Friend,

Mine and Cyndi’s hearts are broken for the Uvalde, TX community. This is an absolute nightmare that has shaken our state and our country. Nineteen children and two teachers were taken at the hands of an individual who should have never had a weapon in the first place.

Our schools should be a safe haven for learning and growth. Yet teachers and children go to school each day fearing for their lives. Parents worry that when they hug their child goodbye, that hug may be their last. To the families and loved ones of the innocent lives lost -- we grieve with you during this incomprehensible tragedy. As a parent and grandparent myself, I cannot begin to fathom the pain you are enduring at this moment.

Friend, the fact of the matter is that this tragedy is a direct result of the heartless actions of Texas Republicans. Last legislative session, they passed nineteen new laws loosening gun restrictions in Texas. In the year since then, firearm deaths have skyrocketed in our state, including more than six shootings on school grounds.

Students, community members, and law enforcement officers have been begging Republican lawmakers for common sense gun control for years. And instead of taking action, they choose to stand idly by while children are murdered. The voices of our students should serve as our conscience as we move forward from this unimaginable tragedy.

Tragedies like this will continue to leave Texas families grieving and traumatized until our state starts prioritizing our families, our safety, and our future. Today, we grieve and renew our demand for meaningful, immediate action to end gun violence. Texas families can’t wait any longer.

Sending strength and healing,

Gilberto Hinojosa
Chair, Texas Democratic Party