Bad Takes: Unpacking the GOP’s absurd post-Uvalde rhetoric on gun ownership

Beware of anyone who argues that unspeakable atrocities like Uvalde have nothing to do with the United States ranking No. 1 in civilian firearm ownership.

by Kevin Sanchez June 10, 2022May 27, 2025

News

Citing suicide attempt, harassment, parents of trangender kids sue Texas to halt abuse investigations

‘[My son] is receiving mental health care and is recovering from the attempt, but these events have devastated our life,’ said the mother of the trans teen who tried to take his own life.

by Sanford Nowlin June 9, 2022May 24, 2025

Members of law enforcement lay flowers at a makeshift memorial outside Robb Elementary School.

News

In the wake of Uvalde, here are 3 things Texas Republicans would rather talk about than gun reform

Instead of talking about guns, Texas GOP officials would rather obsess about drag shows for kids, Twitter bots and a sort-of apology from NASCAR.

by Sanford Nowlin June 8, 2022April 29, 2025

News

FBI Hiring Teachers, Downtown Hotel Lawsuit: The top 10 headlines in San Antonio this week

The fallout of Uvalde’s school shooting continued to dominate local headlines, but our two most-read stories weren’t directly related to the tragedy.

by San Antonio Current Staff June 3, 2022December 8, 2023

News

Abbott draws swift rebuke after calling for ‘legislative committees’ to study Uvalde school shooting

Democrat Mike Collier blasted the governor for refusing to call a special session, something he did three times last year to push GOP-backed culture war legislation.

by Sanford Nowlin June 1, 2022August 17, 2023

News

Texas ranks 34th among states in gun-safety laws, lacks ‘foundational’ rules, study finds

Despite Texas’ spate of recent mass shootings, lawmakers ‘continue to sit on their hands and refuse to enact foundational gun safety laws,’ according to the report.

by Sanford Nowlin May 31, 2022July 30, 2024

News

Abbott blames ‘mental health’ for Uvalde shooting after cutting $211 million from mental health agency

Abbott announced the budget cuts in late April to continue funding his immigration crackdown, Operation Lone Star.

by Sanford Nowlin May 31, 2022September 6, 2024

News

Gov. Greg Abbott greeted with boos as he visits Uvalde school memorial on Sunday

‘Please, Gov. Abbott, help Uvalde county,’ one person shouted. ‘We need change! We need change, governor!’

by Sanford Nowlin May 30, 2022August 17, 2023

News

A gun and a prayer: How the far right took control of Texas’ response to mass shootings

The “God-given right” to self-defense has become a rallying cry in Texas politics, further cementing gun ownership as a holy cause and political identity. The state’s Republican leadership has spent decades carrying the banner.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune May 29, 2022July 22, 2024

News

Uvalde School Shooting, Shark Tank: The top 10 headlines in San Antonio this week

Understandably, readers were looking for news to help make sense of the tragic and pointless school shooting in Uvalde.

by San Antonio Current Staff May 27, 2022August 17, 2023

News

After Uvalde massacre, Gov. Greg Abbott cancels NRA appearance but still provides recorded message

Despite a steep rise in mass shootings in 2021, the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature passed seven pieces of legislation last year easing firearms restrictions.

by Sanford Nowlin May 27, 2022August 17, 2023

News

Gov. Greg Abbott’s Uvalde press conference slips into chaos after rival Beto O’Rourke confronts him

Uvalde’s Mayor called O’Rourke a “sick son of a bitch.”

by Michael Karlis May 25, 2022May 27, 2024

News

Analysis: Are Texans horrified by the Uvalde school massacre ready to demand change?

Counting the Uvalde massacre, mass shootings have claimed the lives of 108 people in Texas since 2009.

by Sanford Nowlin May 25, 2022August 17, 2023

News

St. Mary’s Strip, Cannabis Legalization: The top 10 headlines in San Antonio this week

Many readers took a deep dive into our reporting on the woes surrounding the St. Mary’s nightlife destination.

by San Antonio Current Staff May 20, 2022September 3, 2024

News

U.S. Reps. Chip Roy and Louie Gohmert of Texas voted against bill to remedy baby formula crisis

Roy’s district includes San Antonio, a city shown in a recent study to be among the nation’s hardest hit by the formula shortage.

by Sanford Nowlin May 19, 2022October 12, 2023

Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a Kingwood Tea Party event.

Cannabis

New poll shows most Texans want marijuana legalized, but Gov. Greg Abbott says he won’t budge

The governor said he supports reducing possession penalties but won’t support legalizing weed.

by Sanford Nowlin May 18, 2022June 13, 2025

News

Study names Texas’ Greg Abbott the nation’s most-transphobic governor

Abbott, who issued a controversial order to investigate parents of trans children, beat out Florida’s Ron DeSantis for the dubious distinction.

by Sanford Nowlin May 17, 2022July 6, 2025

News

Texas law prohibiting social media companies from banning users over their viewpoints reinstated by appeals court

The court did not evaluate the law on its constitutionality but will allow it to go back into effect while a legal case plays out. Texas lawmakers passed the law, saying social media platforms have an anti-conservative bias.