Contact: Representative Joel Kitchens (608) 266-5350
Madison—Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) released the following statement regarding the Assembly passage of the School Safety legislative package:
“I couldn’t be more proud of the way my colleagues and I in the Assembly have come together today to pass this incredibly important legislation. The School Safety package invests 100 million dollars toward ensuring that school districts throughout Wisconsin have the resources they need in order to ensure the protection of Wisconsin’s youth.
“Among the many benefits this package will provide is the creation of the Office of School Safety, under the DOJ, which will work in conjunction with DPI and local schools to develop model school safety plans and provide resources to help implement them.
“In addition to this, our School Safety Package will require purchasers of rifles and shotguns to go through the same stringent background checks through the state as those who purchase hand guns. It is vital that we keep all guns out of the hands of dangerous people, regardless of what category the gun falls into.
“The issue of safety in our schools is a complex problem which demands an equally complex approach. These bills are not the end of our discussions on school safety but the beginning. We need to focus both on protecting our children today and working towards preventing school shootings in the future. After many discussions with the superintendents of the 1st Assembly District, I feel confident that this package of bills is necessary for the security of Wisconsin’s students. I believe these bills will save lives.”
