Bowen: School Safety Package Rushed, Needs Fix Print
Commentary
Written by BOWEN PRESS   
Tuesday, 20 March 2018 16:38

school-gunsRepublican package does nothing to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and those who shouldn't legally have them. Fund our schools and allow districts to create their own safety plans with students at the table.


MADISON – Today, the Assembly Committee on Education held a public hearing on six bills being rushed through the legislative process with the stated intention of improving school safety. Representative David Bowen (D-Milwaukee) issued the following statement:

david-bowen“There are several issues with this legislative package– first and foremost, it does nothing to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals and those who shouldn't legally have them. Any effort to keep kids safe from shooters should include universal background checks and other safety measures with overwhelming public support but Republicans unanimously voted against it.

“The $100 million spent in this rushed legislation is offered to schools through a grant program at the leisure of the Attorney General, who has publicly expressed support for the misguided policy of training teachers to be armed with guns. The Attorney General would have the ability to reject a district’s proposal at his department's discretion, including based on whether or not that school’s plan includes arming teachers.

“Instead of leaving the safety of our schools up to the extreme policy preferences of the Attorney General, funding should be provided directly to schools to improve the safety. School districts know what their needs are, and creating more partisan red tape is the wrong direction for Wisconsin at a critical time.

“Let’s adequately fund our schools and allow districts to create their own individualized safety plans with students at the table.”