Wendy Davis questions National Guard role on border
McALLEN — Democratic candidate Wendy Davis said Thursday that as governor she would pull Texas National Guard troops from the border if local officials determined they weren’t necessary.
The remarks followed Gov. Rick Perry’s announcement last month that as many as 1,000 National Guard troops would be deployed to the Texas-Mexico border to bolster security.
“The first thing I would do is call in the local elected officials and the law enforcement and Border Patrol to advise us what they believe the best approach is,” Davis, a state senator from Fort Worth, said Thursday in the border city of McAllen. “I expect that their advice will be that that’s not the right approach and if that’s their advice I will follow it.”
The deployment Perry announced is estimated to cost $12 million per month on top of the $1.3 million per week the state has been paying for a surge of state troopers at the border. The troops will be armed but for the most part are expected to take up observational posts and advise state troopers or Border Patrol of illegal activity. Their deployment is expected to begin in coming weeks, but does not have an end date.
More at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/wendy-davis-questions-national-guard-role-on-borde/ngxjp/ .
= new reply since forum marked as read
