As the state Assembly is slated to meet in an extraordinary session on Thursday to take up school safety legislation, some students are demanding far more than what lawmakers are willing to provide.
Before calling the session, Gov. Scott Walker released a package of bills intended to serve as a template for what legislators would consider.
The proposal included increased funding for schools to modernize security measures, hire armed guards, include “Trauma-Informed Care and Adverse Childhood Experiences” in teacher training programs and establish an office dedicated to school safety under the Justice Department.
“The safety of our students, parents, teachers, and school employees is of utmost importance,” said Administration Secretary Ellen Nowak in her testimony in support of the legislation. “We need to ensure this safety so our children are free to learn at school, our teachers are free to teach, and our parents can have peace of mind.
But for some, the debates inside the Capitol are missing a key part of the conversation.
"As an organization, we believe that increasing funding to schools to improve facilities and emergency preparedness is a good thing, but we know that this isn’t the best solution for ending gun violence in schools,” said Brianna Koerth, chair of the UW-Madison College Democrats.
In the wake of large-scale demonstrations and walkouts by students
“If our state leaders were serious about fighting this epidemic, they would work toward common sense gun reform; instead, they decided to run away from the issue by blocking votes on background checks, bump stocks, waiting periods and mental health treatment,” Koerth said. “Wisconsin students are in danger, and this failure to honestly act against gun violence does very little to change that."
In their final day of activity yesterday, the state Senate passed a slightly altered version of Walker’s plan, nixing provisions that would require parental notification of bullying incidents within 48 hours as well as allowing schools to share surveillance tapes with law enforcement.
Without any more time for deliberation, the Assembly must approve the Senate’s proposals as they are for them to be able to reach Walker’s desk and be signed into law.
