May 25, 2022
SPEAKER KROWINSKI STATEMENT ON THE SCHOOL SHOOTING IN UVALDE, TEXAS
Montpelier, Vt. – Today, House Speaker Jill Krowinski issued the following statement:
“After taking time to reflect on the 19 children and two teachers who were senselessly murdered in their classrooms yesterday, still no words can describe the anguish I feel for the Uvalde community. Parents and families sent their kids off to school, like millions of families do every day, never expecting to receive the most horrific news of their lives. And why should they? Parents should not be afraid to send their children to school. Children should not be afraid to go to school. And teachers should not have to wonder if they’ll need to protect their students from a gunman wearing body armor and carrying an assault rifle.
“We are 20 weeks into 2022 and have already witnessed 27 school shootings across the country. The total for 2021 was 34. This is sickening. And while elected leaders across the country offer thoughts and prayers, in the coming days and weeks many will continue to push the powerful gun lobby’s agenda.
“We certainly are not perfect in Vermont. This year, we passed legislation to expand the waiting period for background checks, ban firearms in hospitals, and allow health care providers to alert law enforcement and to seek an emergency risk protection order for a person that poses a threat to themselves or others. But we still have much work to do. This summer and fall I am focused on getting members elected that will support these efforts, and I will use the coming months to develop a legislative agenda that’s ready to go at the beginning of our session next January.
“In Congress, 50 U.S. Senators are standing in the way of a bipartisan bill that would make a significant difference by expanding background checks to all firearm sales and closing the online and gun show sales loopholes. This firearm safety legislation is long overdue. But there’s little hope it won’t be sidetracked — again.
“To the entire Uvalde community: We mourn this unfathomable loss. No words can bring back your loved ones, but please know that some of us will not let this incident fade into history. We will take action in their names, and in the names of all the innocent Americans killed before them, in the hope that we can prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future.”
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