Lawmakers in Richmond may be about to wrap up their General Assembly session, but they’re already pushing school safety to next year.
The school shooting in Florida has education leaders across Virginia worried. Are schools safe? What can be done to make them safer? Lawmakers here in Richmond say they want to take action. Next year. Republican leaders have created a new select committee on school safety to come up with recommendations for the next session of the General Assembly. Republican Delegate Ben Cline of Rockbridge.
“You’ll be looking at access points and various issues related to entryways and exit ways to schools and standards of quality as they relate to construction of schools.”
One thing the select committee won’t be looking at is gun violence. Minority Leader David Toscano of Charlottesville says that’s a mistake.
“We think we ought to be spending a little more time on gun safety measures and not be distracted by a select committee that will have probably something to present but will not solve the problem.”
Democrats took the opportunity to announce their own new initiative, a series of town halls to talk about gun violence and what can be done about it.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
