Families and Lawmakers Stand United Against Secrecy
Texas House Democrats stood alongside Lives Robbed, a coalition of Uvalde families who lost children in the Robb Elementary School shooting, to denounce the passage of HB 15. The controversial legislation shields police misconduct from public scrutiny by creating a secretive “department file” system that keeps key accountability records hidden.
The law empowers police agencies to unilaterally classify misconduct complaints as “unsubstantiated” and store them in confidential files, exempt from public information requests. Critics say this secrecy would have allowed the Texas Department of Public Safety to conceal critical failures from the Robb Elementary tragedy, where nearly 400 officers waited over 77 minutes before confronting the shooter who killed 19 children and two teachers.
Uvalde Families Speak Out
Kimberly Mata-Rubio, mother of 10-year-old Lexi and president of Lives Robbed, said the bill deepens families’ suffering by cutting off their path to truth.
“For over three years, we’ve tirelessly sought access to records from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) regarding their failure to protect our children at Robb Elementary. Yet, answers remain elusive,” Mata-Rubio said. “HB 15 threatens to permanently deny families the closure and understanding they deserve in the wake of law enforcement related tragedies. This is a shameful moment in Texas’ history, and we mourn all the victims who will be impacted by this callous decision to value the thin blue line
over the people of Texas.”
Lawmakers Call Bill a Blow to Trust
House Speaker pro Tempore Joe Moody stressed that public trust is rooted in transparency.
“I’m pleased that we made this bill better than what it started as, but make no mistake—any move towards secrecy is dangerous and undermines public trust,” Moody said. “I always go back to the preamble to our Public Information Act: ‘The people … do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for them to know and what is not good for them to know.’ I believe that, and I join my fellow Texas Democrats in fighting for it.”
Minority Leader Warns of Corruption
Texas House Minority Leader Gene Wu warned that HB 15 enables corruption by prioritizing officers’ reputations over community safety.
“Republicans have created a system that protects officers who’ve committed misconduct while making it harder for Texans to know if those sworn to protect them have histories of problematic behavior,” Wu said. “This corrupt, dangerous legislation undermines the transparency that keeps our communities safe and serves the interests of those with something to hide, not the public.”
A Fight for Transparency Continues
For Uvalde families and Texas Democrats, HB 15 represents not just a policy setback but a profound betrayal. They argue the law signals to grieving families and all Texans that truth and accountability remain secondary to shielding law enforcement.
