A final day of activity for the state Assembly. The chamber signed off Thursday, on package of school safety bills proposed by Governor Scott Walker, and already passed in the Senate.
“Our goal is to make sure that every child that leaves for school, comes home from school,” said Representative Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma)
“This is not something that we are new to, it’s something that we have been working on for session after session,” said Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester)
But Minority Leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh) said Republicans in past sessions took actions that made schools less safe, and the measures passed Thursday are inadequate.
“It does nothing to reduce the risk of firearms in the wrong peoples hands,” Hintz said of the package. Provisions include creation of an Office of School Safety within the state Department of Justice, that would administer a one-time $100 million grant program to fund building improvements, school resource officers and training opportunities.
The Assembly also passed a bill to expand to 11 the number of data sources consulted in background checks for long gun purchases. It’s unclear whether than bill will make it to the governor.
The Assembly voted unanimously Thursday to approve changes made by the Senate on a bill overhauling the state’s juvenile corrections system — and moving towards closing the troubled Lincoln Hills youth prison. The Assembly also approved 59-31 a 100 dollar per child tax credit, and an exemption from the state sales tax for some school supplies, during the first weekend of August.
