After Sandy Hook, some legislative fixes fall away – some move ahead
By Kimberly Beltran
Monday, May 13, 2013
In the aftermath of the shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary, California lawmakers were quick to offer up a number of new ideas aimed at keeping schools and students safe.
Four months later, however, some of those ideas have already been set aside and those that remain viable are challenged both by economic restrictions and political realities.
A plan to allow teachers to anonymously carry weapons on school grounds, for instance, was defeated last month while legislation that would have required districts to install panic alarms has been shelved. Meanwhile, a bill that would require schools to retroactively install locks on every room with occupancy of five or more persons remains pending.
And there are at least four separate proposals calling for new elements, updates or changes to school safety plans that are already required.
Moving forward is SB 49 by Senate leader Darrell Steinberg and Sen. Ted Lieu, both Democrats. This bill would
Tracy district wins state waiver for use of capital appreciation bonds
After a month’s reflection, the California State Board of Education has approved a waiver that paves the way for a Tracy school district to borrow $23 million from financial markets even though much of it would come from selling capital appreciation bonds.