Uvalde school shooting

Gov. Abbott at Uvalde presser

Will politicians who blame mass shootings on mental illness expand Medicaid?

By Rebekah Barber
June 9, 2022 - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has blamed unaddressed mental health problems for the mass shooting of 19 schoolchildren and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde. So why isn't he pressing to expand Medicaid in his state and others to give more people access to care? Meanwhile, mental health advocates say they worry about politicians' rhetoric linking mental illness and mass shootings.
Daniel Defense AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle

INSTITUTE INDEX: Uvalde massacre gunmaker is a major federal contractor and political donor

By Elisha Brown
June 7, 2022 - Daniel Defense is the Georgia-based company that manufactured the AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle used in the massacre that left 19 schoolchildren and two teachers dead in Uvalde, Texas. The private company is a major federal contractor, inking its latest deal to provide arms for the U.S. Marshals Service 10 days after the Uvalde shooting. It's also been a generous contributor to Republican candidates and a pro-gun political action committee.   

The politicians who stood with the NRA after the Uvalde massacre

By Sue Sturgis
June 3, 2022 - The recent National Rifle Association convention in Houston took place just days after a gunman with an AR-15-style rifle killed 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in the Texas city of Uvalde. Some politicians scheduled to address the gathering canceled even before the shooting, some canceled afterwards — and some showed up anyway.