BILL, BACK TO YOU. ALEX. THANK YOU. RIGHT NOW, NEBRASKA LAWMAKERS ARE REACTING TO YESTERDAY’S TRAGEDY AND HOPING TO PREVENT ANOTHER IN THE FUTURE. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN’S ANDREW OZAKI BREAKS DOWN THE BILLS BEING INTRODUCED AND WHAT THEY COULD MEAN FOR SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE. A BARRAGE OF BULLETS AND CHAOS AT A IOWA HIGH SCHOOL. POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES. BY THEN, FIVE PEOPLE WOUNDED, TWO DEAD, INCLUDING THE SHOOTER. BY HIS OWN HAND. IF YOU DON’T HAVE REAL TIME ABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION, THEN YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE THESE KIND OF SITUATIONS WHERE IT’S AFTER THE FACT. THAT’S WHY SENATOR DON BREWER SAYS NEXT WEEK HE WILL INTRODUCE A SCHOOL SAFETY BILL. IT WILL INCLUDE ALLOWING NEBRASKA SCHOOLS TO HAVE THE OPTION OF ARMING SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. IT’S UP TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, BUT THEY NEED TO BE TRAINED. THEY NEED TO BE EDUCATED AND THEY NEED TO BE READY. SO IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, THEY ACTUALLY ARE A VALUE ADDED. BREWER SAYS HE’S HEARD FROM SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS WHERE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS ARE NOT AN OPTION, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN BE MILES AWAY. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE ON THESE. BREWER SAYS HIS BILL WOULD ALSO ALLOW OFF-DUTY OFFICERS FROM GOING ON SCHOOL GROUNDS TO PICK UP THEIR KIDS OR RESPOND TO AN INCIDENT, PROVIDE STATE GRANTS TO MAKE BUILDINGS MORE SECURE, AND CREATE AN ALERT SYSTEM FOR RESPONDING LAW OFFICERS, GOES OUT TO EVERYBODY’S PHONE AND THEY KNOW WHERE IT’S HAPPENING, WHERE AT THE SCHOOL THAT’S HAPPENING, STATE SENATOR LYNN WALZ INTRODUCED LV TEN ZERO EIGHT FRIDAY. IT CALLS FOR $45 MILLION MORE IN SECURITY RELATED SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES. THE $10 MILLION THAT WAS SET ASIDE LAST YEAR IS ALREADY GONE. IT’S OBVIOUS THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE NEEDING SOME HELP, SHE BELIEVES THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE ATTENTION ADDRESSING WHY THESE TRAGEDIES HAPPEN. THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE CAN DO, THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE HAVE TO DO, IS MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN OUR SCHOOLS AND TO OUR FAMILIES. THE NCA, WHICH REPRESENTS 26,000 TEACHERS, OPPOSES ARMING SCHOOL EMPLOYEES. WHAT WE NEED IS TO ARM OURSELVES WITH MORE RESOURCES, WITH MORE ABILITY TO HELP ALL KIDS TO TO FIND OUT WHAT’S GOING ON AND TO NOT ANSWER WIT
Nebraska senator after Iowa school shooting: Give schools option of arming employees
Updated: 10:41 AM CST Jan 6, 2024
Nebraska lawmakers are reacting to the deadly school shooting in Perry, Iowa, and hoping to prevent another in the future.A barrage of bullets and chaos broke out at an Iowa high school, and police were on the scene in less than 10 minutes. By then, 17-year-old shooter Dylan Butler had killed himself after killing a sixth-grader and wounding seven others. "If you don't have real-time ability to deal with the situation, you're going to have these kinds of situations where it's after the fact," state Sen. Tom Brewer said.That's why Brewer said he will introduce a school safety bill next week. It will include allowing Nebraska schools to have the option of arming school employees."I'm not saying we arm any teachers. It's up to the school board. It may be an administrator, or it may be a janitor," Brewer said.The school board and administrators would decide, and they'd need to have a written policy. "They need to be trained. They need to be educated and they need to be ready. So, if something happens, they actually are value added," Brewer said.He said most of the time, the weapon would be locked, with only the authorized person having access."The idea has never been that someone would carry it around. It would be available in some type of a lock device. So, if they needed it, they could retrieve it," Brewer said. During an interim hearing in December, several school administrators and law officers, especially from rural areas testified hiring school resource officers was not an option and law enforcement can be miles away."You might have a 45-minute response time. Well, there's a lot of terrible things can happen in 45 minutes. Look what happened in Iowa in seven minutes," Brewer said.Brewer said his bill would also allow off-duty officers to carry their service weapons on school grounds to pick up their kids or respond to an incident."If you're a sworn law enforcement officer, 24/7, 365, if you need to go into a school, whether it's to pick up your kids or to help respond to an event, they should not have to worry about being charged with a felony," Brewer said. His proposal will also provide state grants to make buildings more secure and create an alert system for responding law officers."On the lines of an 'Amber Alert' only for law enforcement that goes out to everybody's phone, and they know where it's happening, where at the school it's happening, and then it's a combined effort," Brewer said.State Sen. Lynne Walz said she was saddened by the latest mass shooting involving a school."We've got to find a way to prevent this from happening," Walz said.On Friday, she introduced LB 1008.It calls for $45 million more in security-related school infrastructure upgrades.Last year lawmakers set aside $10 million that the Nebraska Department of Education was working on distributing. "So, it's obvious that our schools are needing some help," Walz said.She believes more attention needs to be placed on addressing why these tragedies happen."The number one thing that we can do, the number one thing that we have to do, is make sure that we're providing mental health services in our schools and to our families. And provide enough funding to get those resources into the schools," Walz said.She appreciates Brewer's proposal, which allows for local control."It's a local decision. And I think that's really key to the whole concept that Sen. Brewer is bringing," Walz said. The Nebraska State Education Association, which represents 26,000 teachers, opposes arming school employees."We don't believe arming personnel is the answer," NSEA President Jenni Benson said.Benson has served on the Nebraska School Safety Task Force, which made recommendations that included grants for mental health specialists or school psychologists."What we need is to arm ourselves with more resources, with more ability to help all kids to find out what's going on and to not answer with weapons," Benson said.State Sen. Justin Wayne is the chairman of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee. He said he is willing to work with Brewer and other senators to address school security."At the end of the day, we a tragic thing that happened. And we have to figure out how to make sure we have our schools safe. I mean, that's we got to protect our kids," Wayne said.Full coverage of Perry school shooting:Authorities identify sixth-grader killed in Perry shootingQuestions linger about Perry school shooter's motive, where he got firearms Authorities identify 17-year-old shooter who killed 1, wounded 7 in Perry school shootingFamilies recount terrifying moments from inside Perry High School during deadly shootingPolice on massive response to Perry High School: 'No community is immune'Iowa leaders, elected officials react to Perry High School shootingResources available for families impacted by Perry High School shootingDispatch recordings provide timeline of Perry High School shooting in IowaPerry High School principal Dan Marburger among 7 wounded'May this vigil be a beacon of light': Hundreds gather at Perry park to pray and mourn as a communityFamilies of Sandy Hook victims release statement on Perry High School shootingPerry school shooting creates new questions for Republicans in Iowa’s presidential caucusesPerry school superintendent provides update on when classes may resume after deadly shooting
Nebraska lawmakers are reacting to the deadly school shooting in Perry, Iowa, and hoping to prevent another in the future.
A barrage of bullets and chaos broke out at an Iowa high school, and police were on the scene in less than 10 minutes. By then, 17-year-old shooter Dylan Butler had killed himself after killing a sixth-grader and wounding seven others.
"If you don't have real-time ability to deal with the situation, you're going to have these kinds of situations where it's after the fact," state Sen. Tom Brewer said.
That's why Brewer said he will introduce a school safety bill next week. It will include allowing Nebraska schools to have the option of arming school employees.
"I'm not saying we arm any teachers. It's up to the school board. It may be an administrator, or it may be a janitor," Brewer said.
The school board and administrators would decide, and they'd need to have a written policy.
"They need to be trained. They need to be educated and they need to be ready. So, if something happens, they actually are value added," Brewer said.
He said most of the time, the weapon would be locked, with only the authorized person having access.
"The idea has never been that someone would carry it around. It would be available in some type of a lock device. So, if they needed it, they could retrieve it," Brewer said.
During an interim hearing in December, several school administrators and law officers, especially from rural areas testified hiring school resource officers was not an option and law enforcement can be miles away.
"You might have a 45-minute response time. Well, there's a lot of terrible things can happen in 45 minutes. Look what happened in Iowa in seven minutes," Brewer said.
Brewer said his bill would also allow off-duty officers to carry their service weapons on school grounds to pick up their kids or respond to an incident.
"If you're a sworn law enforcement officer, 24/7, 365, if you need to go into a school, whether it's to pick up your kids or to help respond to an event, they should not have to worry about being charged with a felony," Brewer said.
His proposal will also provide state grants to make buildings more secure and create an alert system for responding law officers.
"On the lines of an 'Amber Alert' only for law enforcement that goes out to everybody's phone, and they know where it's happening, where at the school it's happening, and then it's a combined effort," Brewer said.
State Sen. Lynne Walz said she was saddened by the latest mass shooting involving a school.
"We've got to find a way to prevent this from happening," Walz said.
On Friday, she introduced LB 1008.
It calls for $45 million more in security-related school infrastructure upgrades.
Last year lawmakers set aside $10 million that the Nebraska Department of Education was working on distributing.
"So, it's obvious that our schools are needing some help," Walz said.
She believes more attention needs to be placed on addressing why these tragedies happen.
"The number one thing that we can do, the number one thing that we have to do, is make sure that we're providing mental health services in our schools and to our families. And provide enough funding to get those resources into the schools," Walz said.
She appreciates Brewer's proposal, which allows for local control.
"It's a local decision. And I think that's really key to the whole concept that Sen. Brewer is bringing," Walz said.
The Nebraska State Education Association, which represents 26,000 teachers, opposes arming school employees.
"We don't believe arming personnel is the answer," NSEA President Jenni Benson said.
Benson has served on the Nebraska School Safety Task Force, which made recommendations that included grants for mental health specialists or school psychologists.
"What we need is to arm ourselves with more resources, with more ability to help all kids to find out what's going on and to not answer with weapons," Benson said.
State Sen. Justin Wayne is the chairman of the Legislature's Judiciary Committee.
He said he is willing to work with Brewer and other senators to address school security.
"At the end of the day, we a tragic thing that happened. And we have to figure out how to make sure we have our schools safe. I mean, that's we got to protect our kids," Wayne said.
Full coverage of Perry school shooting: