Contact: Rep. Chris Taylor, 608-266-5342
Proposal ignores the cries of our youth for meaningful action
MADISON – Today, Governor Scott Walker called for a special session of the Wisconsin State Legislature on school safety. It appears the cornerstone of the policy proposal is grant funding for school districts for facility upgrades, leaving out any mention of additional safety measures, such as universal background checks, which prevent those who want to do harm to themselves or others from obtaining firearms in the first place. In response, Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison) issued the following statement:
“It’s clear that the Governor did not listen to the thousands of students who were at the Capitol yesterday or who walked out of their classrooms around the state. This proposal is wholly inadequate and misses the mark in terms of being a comprehensive approach to preventing violence in our schools and communities. Per usual, my Republican colleagues are nibbling around the edges of an issue they have the chance to address in a meaningful way. The answer isn’t to make our schools fortresses – it’s to give schools the funding they need to create a positive school climate with social, emotional, and behavioral health supports. It is unbelievable that part of the proposal is to put Attorney General Brad Schimel, who wants to arm teachers, in charge of the Office of School Safety.
“Further, nothing in the Governor’s proposal makes it any more difficult for individuals who intend to harm themselves or others from obtaining firearms in the first place. There are students, law enforcement officers, educators, physicians, mental health professionals, parents, and domestic violence groups from around Wisconsin asking for a combination of universal background checks, lethal violence protection orders, a high capacity magazine ban, and a waiting period for gun purchases, and yet Governor Walker fails to include any common-sense gun safety legislation in his proposal. He continues to be in the death-grip of the NRA, who have previously spent $3.5 million getting him elected. Governor Walker is once again failing our children, our schools, and our communities. He has once again chosen his own political future over the people of this state. It is shameful.”
