Actions

Wisconsin Senate OK's school safety bill

Posted at 10:44 PM, Mar 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-20 23:45:29-04

The Wisconsin Senate has passed Gov. Scott Walker's school safety proposal that makes $100 million in grants available.

The Senate passed the bill 28-4 on Tuesday. The Assembly was expected to sign off on Thursday.

The bill creates a new office of school safety under the state Department of Justice, which would be in charge of the grants.

Walker and bill supporters say schools can use the grant money to make security enhancements, similar to how airports tightened restrictions following the 9-11 terrorist attacks.

But Democrats and other advocates say Walker and Republicans are missing the core issue of tightening gun control. They have been calling for universal background checks and reinstituting a 48-hour waiting period for gun purchases.