Texas Rep. James Talarico Faces Criticism Over 2019 Interview

Democratic Texas Representative James Talarico is under fire following the resurfacing of a 2019 interview in which he advocated for a bill mandating schools to hire at least four mental health professionals for every police officer present on campus.

Talarico, who has a background as a Presbyterian seminarian and middle school teacher, won the Democratic primary against Rep. Jasmine Crockett on March 3, securing a position previously held by Republican Senator John Cornyn. In the interview on the Trey Blocker Show, he defended his proposed bill, arguing that increased police presence in schools contributes to a “culture of violence.”

“We all worry about school safety, especially with the rise in school shootings. However, these concerns have often led to an unproductive focus on militarizing schools and increasing law enforcement presence,” Talarico stated during the interview.

He elaborated, “Our bill is designed to ensure that school districts employ four mental health professionals—like counselors and clinical psychologists—for every police officer in a school. The intention is for students to encounter far more mental health professionals than police officers in their day-to-day environment.”

In addition to this bill, Talarico has supported various measures aimed at reducing police funding. However, this particular bill did not advance in committee.

In 2021, he also made efforts to maintain funding cuts for the Austin Police Department, responding to grassroots movements that aimed to restore funding prior to the November elections.

“I’m honored to be part of one of Austin’s largest coalitions opposing Prop A. There’s still time to join us,” he tweeted on November 2, 2021.

The measure ultimately failed, garnering just over 31% of the vote, according to reports.

A Republican National Committee spokesperson criticized Talarico, stating, “This is a frightful mix of Talarico’s two favorite stances: defunding the police and pushing his progressive policies on children. Texans are clear about their feelings regarding this.”

In contrast, Talarico’s spokesperson responded, asserting, “This is categorically false. James does not advocate for defunding the police; rather, he consistently supports funding for law enforcement. His current proposal aims to enhance police resources through necessary mental health personnel to avoid tragedies like the Uvalde school shooting.” The spokesperson added that Talarico stands firm against both political parties regarding the pressing need to reform the political system.