House Bill 415 and District 1 schools
Sauter
The Legislature has been meeting for four weeks. More bills have been introduced this year than last (20% increase) at this point. The speed of bill processing (moving from one step to the next) has become less consistent. Some bills are fast-forwarded, others have been slowed down or held by committee chairman.
Some bills are beginning to make it to "floor" votes by the House and Senate, but only one bill has made it to the governor's desk.
A Firearms on School Property Bill (HB415) was introduced on Jan. 22. There has been considerable dialogue about it since then. Once the House State Affairs Committee had held a hearing and voted to pass it to the House ‘floor’ I reached out to our school superintendents, police chiefs, and sheriffs and asked for their views. I received feedback from all parties. There was support and opposition to the bill. School boards are responsible for regulating access to school campus areas and developing safety plans. Local law enforcement providers (sheriff's deputies and city police officers) serve as the campus safety crew and emergency responders in most cases. Some school districts hire their own school safety officers (Lake Pend Oreille does this).
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