Legislation at the state capitol aims to kick bullying out of schools.
State Senator Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn) says his bill creates a way to help school districts ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for students. The Elkhorn Republican says bullying is more severe and more prevalent than ever before.
"You know it's no longer teasing or taking someone's lunch money. It's evolved into threatening words, physical violence, intimidating emails, text messaging, even entire web pages have been built to torment innocent children."
Kedzie's bill would provide corrective, educational and disciplinary action and it would direct the Department of Public Instruction to develop a model school policy on bullying. Kedzie says the school districts in our state which already have bullying policies in place would not have to change anything under this measure. Similar legislation passed through the Senate last session but never made it to the Assembly floor. Kedzie believes this new bill will not only pass the Senate, but will also get through the Assembly.
"The fact that we've seen a greater increase of incidents across the state and across the country, the fact that other states are following suit are all reasons to help encourage legislators in the Assembly to vote and pass meaningful legislation that definitely will help our children to keep our schools safer."
The bill ( SB42 ) would also define bullying so there could be uniformity across the state. Kedzie says 32 other states have similar legislation in place.
The full Senate takes up the bullying bill today (Thursday).