State Rep. Ken Borton, R-Gaylord, released a statement today calling for the House Education Committee to consider a bipartisan school safety plan introduced last year. The 13-bill legislative package stemmed from the Bipartisan School Safety Task Force formed by House Republicans after the Oxford High School shooting in 2021. Despite the urgent need for additional school safety resources, Democrat leadership has neglected to give the plan an initial hearing.

“A bipartisan package to keep our kids safe seems like the perfect thing for the House to work on while we’re split 54-54,” Borton said. “We need to refocus our attention away from inconsequential bills with limited impact and get back to the issues people care most about – that can start with securing school safety resources for kids back home.”

House Bills 4088-4100 would establish the School Safety and Mental Health Commission, expand and improve the OK2SAY system, dedicate funding to school resource officers, and improve responses to school safety crises.

“School officials across the state have been explicitly clear about the need for additional resources to keep our kids safe,” Borton said. “The school safety plan addresses some of those needs by getting more resource officers in schools, ensuring local authorities are contacted whenever a student utilizes OK2SAY, and equipping schools with quality crises plans for dangerous situations.”

House Republican Education Committee members sent a letter Tuesday asking for their Democrat committee members to join them in calling for a committee hearing. Two Democrats would need to join the five Republican members to authorize a committee meeting without approval from the chair

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