Gun debate missing from Texas hearings on Uvalde shooting

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The first public hearings in Texas looking into the Uvalde school massacre have centered on law enforcement blunders, school building safety and mental health. But there’s been only brief mentions about the shooter’s AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle and gun reform. The hearings opened Tuesday with the head of the Texas state police calling the law enforcement response an “abject failure.” By Wednesday, Texas senators turned their attention to mental health funding for schools and a shortage of counselors and mental health providers. So far, lawmakers and witnesses at the hearings have barely mentioned the gun debate.