School security bill dies in House on overwhelming vote

CHEYENNE – In an overwhelming floor vote, the state House of Representatives killed a school security bill Friday because of what some called an unfunded, and unneeded, mandate on schools.

Senate File 64, sponsored in the interim session by the Joint Education Committee, died on its first vote in the House on a 43-13 vote. The bill was passed out of the Senate 19-11 last month and received unanimous support from the House Education Committee this past week.

The bill would have required the Wyoming Department of Education, in collaboration with relevant state agencies, to create security guidelines for school districts to implement at the local level. It also would have made all school district employees undergo training that would prepare them for a violent intruder attack.

Opponents of the bill, including House majority leadership, said SF 64 was an unnecessary, and unfunded, mandate for schools. SF 64 was amended Friday to remove a requirement that plans be developed annually and for plans to include areas like a school’s bus barn. But those changes weren’t enough to convince the vast majority of representatives to get behind the bill.

Read more: https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/school-security-bill-dies-in-house-on-overwhelming-vote/article_6051284e-31b6-11e9-9eea-1bf2de613ec4.html