Washington DC: In the aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, governors around the country vowed to take steps to ensure their students would be kept safe. Months later, as students return to classrooms, money has begun to flow for school security upgrades, training, and other new efforts to make classrooms safer.
But the responses have often reflected political divisions: Many Republicans have emphasized school security spending, while Democrats have called for tighter gun control. Teachers, political opponents, and others have raised questions about the scope and effectiveness of state leaders’ plans.
In a special legislative session in Arkansas last month, lawmakers set aside $50 million for a school safety fund proposed by Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Texas was among several other states that set aside money for school security. Gov. Greg Abbott and other top Republican leaders announced $105.5 million for school safety initiatives. Other Republican governors who made money available for security upgrades include Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who announced $100 million for school security three days after the Uvalde shooting, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. His state is giving $2.6 million to increase training capacity and classes for school resource officers.
Some of the Republican governors who have moved aggressively to bolster school security have ruled out any kind of gun control measures. Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt vowed to fight any firearms restrictions when he signed an executive order on training for law enforcement and risk assessment at schools.
In California, which already had some of the nation’s toughest gun laws, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a dozen more this legislative session and even took out ads in Texas newspapers criticizing the state’s stances on guns. “We’re sick and tired of being on the defense in this movement,” Newsom said in July.
In New Jersey, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation last month requiring the state’s nearly 600 school districts to set up assessment teams to stem violence in schools. In Arkansas, Democratic lawmakers questioned whether districts taking the new grant program’s money would be required to have an armed presence on campus, one of the initial recommendations from the state’s school safety commission.
