Last week's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas has policymakers all over the country rethinking preventive measures to discourage school violence.
During an appearance on Alabama Public Television's "Capitol Journal," State Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield (R-Guntersville) named two areas the Alabama Legislature could consider: school safety and mental health.
According to the Marshall County Republican lawmaker, policies are already in place, but state officials should review those policies to ensure they are effective.
"Well, obviously, it is absolutely unspeakable what happened in Texas and Buffalo," Scofield said. "Absolutely horrendous, and our thoughts and prayers are certainly with the families and the parents who've gone through this tragedy. You know, a couple of things come to mind, Todd -- obviously is, school safety is extremely important. We need to definitely look and make sure we are funding that appropriately with our school resources officers.
"And, I think, obviously with the [Sentry Program] that the governor signed in with an executive order some years ago. We need to make sure we take a look at that and get some updates on that and make sure it is working. Just make sure that our schools are secure. We need to make sure that our schoolchildren know that they're safe, parents know that they're safe when they drop their child off at school. And make sure that those schools have those resources to secure their schools and have safety officers there on each campus.”
Schofield believes mental health issues must be addressed.
"I think, also, our mental health -- you know, we're making very significant investments in our mental health facilities in Alabama," Scofield added. "We are investing significant dollars to these regional facilities in getting them up and going. And I think Alabama is going to continue to fund mental health and change the way we deliver those services to those who need it. So, I think those two areas that we need to take a long, hard look at and make sure our schools are safe, and that we are providing for our mental health."
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email jeff.poor@1819News.com.
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