At the Republican Party of Texas’ biennial convention, the State’s Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller chastised the law enforcement response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. He also said he plans to order “highly trained” armed guards to be placed in each of Texas’ school cafeterias.
“When our children are eating their meals, watching over them will be a good guy with a gun ready to take out a bad guy with a gun,” Miller said at the convention Saturday.
On Thursday, the Agriculture Commissioner’s Office sent out a newsletter saying it plans “to tap existing resources, as well as to seek additional resources” to complete the goal of having armed guards at every school cafeteria in the state. Miller said his plan should be part of any larger plan to improve school safety at both the state and national levels, adding that “school cafeterias remain a large point of vulnerability in any school.”
“Today, I directed my staff to begin the process of determining what federal funds can be utilized for a School Cafeteria Safety Program,” Miller continued. “We must make sure that cafeterias and lunch periods are part of the safety conversation at both the federal and state levels. It is my hope that this program can move forward now, as federal or state legislative action may be over a year away.”
Whether the Department of Agriculture has the authority to order armed guards placed at every cafeteria is not clear. The department’s key objectives are to promote production, agriculture, consumer protection, economic development, and healthy living, according to the agency’s website.
The department also oversees the national school lunch and breakfast programs for Texas schoolchildren and partners with the Department of Defense to provide fresh produce to schools.
Other responsibilities include ensuring that all schools are complying with pest management guidelines.
Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, said there is nothing in current statutes expressly granting the Texas Department of Agriculture jurisdiction to enact a policy like the one suggested by Miller.
The rules governing the department mainly have to do with lunch programs, breakfast programs, milk programs, and other school programs connected to federal laws.
It is not clear if the law prohibits it either, though some have speculated.
“I seriously doubt that any of those federal laws allow for state-level agencies to provide armed assistance in schools, period,” Rottinghaus told the Texas Tribune.
However, Miller suggests the legislature revisits House Bill 1009, the existing legislation that allows Texas schools to place school marshals on their premises.
Miller claims in his newsletter that most larger high schools in the state take advantage of the bill, but most Texas elementary schools do not.
“This makes no sense,” said Miller. “Especially considering the recent tragedy at Robb Elementary as well as the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary nearly a decade ago. Our elementary school students are our most vulnerable students. We must do everything we can to ensure their safety and security.”
“I also plan to work with both Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Representative Michael Cloud (TX-27) – the only Texan serving on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee – to develop strategies at both the state and federal levels to ensure we address this challenge in every way possible. Cafeteria and mealtime safety must not be overlooked,” commissioner Miller added.
Kevin Lawrence, the executive director of the Texas Municipal Police Association, echoed Miller’s claims that Texas elementary schools are not taking advantage of HB 1009.
“The elementary schools just simply have not, up until now, been considered primary targets,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence agreed that placing armed guards at schools could deter future school shootings but added that a renewed focus should be placed on training to improve law enforcement responses in times of crisis.
Commissioner Miller added that he is open to working with anyone on potential solutions to the issue.
“Our children’s safety should be our only priority as we move forward from these dreadful and tragic circumstances,” Miller said. “I welcome anyone who is willing to work with us at the Texas Department of Agriculture to seek solutions to this large and complex problem. We owe it to our kids to get this right.”
“Our children’s safety should be our only priority”….
Says the guy who refuses to do ONE DAMN THING about gun safety in Texas. But hey, if we have to sacrifice a few hundred more kids to guarantee that any crazy 18-year old whack job can buy an AR-15, so be it!