Public Safety & Criminal Justice
Mihaela Plesa had great success in Public Safety by getting 11 bills signed into law including bills to crack down on street racing, educate court and public safety personnel, give more flexibility to public safety personnel, and expand the scope of materials prosecutable as child pornography.
Gun Violence Prevention
The number one killer of kids in America is guns. Texas has the laxest gun laws in the nation, and we allow virtually any and every one to carry a firearm—no background checks, no training, and no questions asked. Mihaela supports common sense gun safety laws to protect our communities from violence and allow us to feel safe again.
Gun violence and mass shootings have been growing closer and closer to home each day, and even our district has experienced this tragedy firsthand. On May 6th, 2023, a shooter unleashed four hundred rounds of live ammunition with an arsenal of firearms in his car, murdering eight of our very own community members at the Allen Premium Outlets. That day renewed her resolve to keep up the fight against the gun lobby because lives are on the line. We don’t feel safe in our own neighborhoods. We don’t feel safe leaving our homes, sending our kids to school, going to the movies, the mall, or even to Church. There is a looming threat of gun violence that Texas Republicans want us to learn to cope with—but Mihaela disagrees. We can protect the Second Amendment and second graders at the same time. This problem persists not for a lack of solutions, her democratic colleagues and Mihaela filed over a hundred-gun safety bills, yet not even one 3Epassed into law. Texas Republicans have demonstrated a lack of political will and moral courage to stand up to the NRA and powerful gun lobby and stand up for Texas communities.
Mihaela supports common sense gun safety laws including of the following and more:
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HB 735: Red flag laws to stop domestic abusers, rapists, and pedophiles from accessing firearms.
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HB 110: Universal background checks and closing gun sale loopholes to keep guns from falling into the wrong hands.
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HB 2744: Raising the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21.
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HB 847: Safe storage laws to keep guns away from unsupervised children.
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HD 3266: Banning devices that could convert a normal gun to automatic fire.
Cracking Down on Street Racing & Highway Takeovers
Illegal street racing, dangerous highway takeovers, and reckless driving exhibitions threaten the safety of our streets and highways. Street racing is becoming a growing problem in Texas in major cities and suburbs like Dallas, Plano, Allen, and Richardson. These displays have led to injury, death, property damage, and the obstruction of emergency vehicles. Mihaela is proud to have worked with law enforcement to pass a bill that gives law enforcement additional tools to crack down on this illegal activity before someone gets hurt or worse.
During the 88th Legislative Session,Mihaela filed HB 2899 to allow law enforcement to tow any vehicles involved in the commission of street racing, highway takeovers, or reckless driving exhibitions. Before Governor Abbott signed her bill into law, the police could not act until injury, loss of life, or property damage had occurred. Thanks to our efforts, law enforcement can be proactive against street racing and stop people from getting hurt or losing their lives.
Smart On Crime
The Texas criminal justice system should be efficient, compassionate, and fair. Our focus should be to prevent and deter crime through robust economic and educational opportunities that give people a chance to contribute to society. When someone is accused of breaking the law, they should be guaranteed all protections under the Constitution: the presumption of innocence, due process, and a speedy trial. Mihaela believes that our criminal sentences should match the severity of the crime and harm inflicted. The goal of our correctional system should be to rehabilitate offenders to be productive members of society. When people have their basic needs met and have opportunities to provide for themselves, they are less likely to commit crime. Texas is one of only five states where 17-year-olds can be prosecuted as adults and be eligible for the death penalty. Mihaela believes children have an immense capacity for redemption, rehabilitation, and ability to change their behavior. Mihaela believes first-time juvenile offenders should be able to participate in diversion programs and all juvenile offenders should go through a mental health and general wellness check. Mihaela supports providing educational opportunities along with mental health, trauma, and grief counseling to all our incarcerated children. Mihaela supports programs that are proven to reduce recidivism through successful reentry that includes second chance hiring and housing.
During the 88th Legislative Session, Mihaela was proud to joint-author or co-author the following criminal justice bills that have been signed into law: