Madison – Representative Bob Donovan (R-Greenfield) gave a statement following the Floor Session regarding the passage of bills aimed at promoting schools safety. Rep. Donovan said:

“I have always been a fierce advocate for public safety throughout my career. School safety is a direct part of this and deserves the same level of attention. Ensuring our children have a safe environment is essential to their upbringing. Disorderly and unsafe schools add another distraction to students and may even contribute to future behavioral problems.

I believe this is an increasingly prominent issue as there was a 15% rise in the school violence tip line from the previous year. Both Assembly Bill 53 and 69 are a small step that we can make to curb this issue. The added level of transparency in Assembly Bill 53 gives parents all the info they deserve to know – including the crimes that occur at the school.

While I understand the issue of overstepping local control, something must be done about the increased violence in our schools. Assembly Bill 69 only requires a school resource officer if the threshold of 100 incidents and 25 arrests are met. I believe this is a fair requirement as we should not tolerate any level of violence in our schools.

Our children deserve the education they are promised without a risk to their safety or learning experience. I recognize this and am proud to support this legislation as a crucial means to protect our kids."