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Oklahoma
State Senate
For Immediate Release: February 18, 2008
Sen. Lamb Wins Committee Approval for Oklahoma School Security Act The Senate Education Committee on Monday unanimously approved a measure designed to make Oklahoma schools among the safest in the nation. Authored by Sen. Todd Lamb, the Oklahoma School Security Act is a comprehensive proposal to combat bullying, reduce school violence and involve school administrators in the process of making their facilities safe for Oklahoma children. “We all remember where we were when that horrible evil struck at Columbine and many of us have felt compelled to do whatever we can to prevent such tragedies in the future,” said Lamb, R-Oklahoma City. “The greatest responsibility of government is to protect the vulnerable, and few are more vulnerable than a child away from his or her parents. This bill represents an effort to ensure no parent or child has to endure the tragedy of school violence.” Lamb said Senate Bill 1941 includes a number of provisions to secure school facilities, including the prohibition of using schools as polling places. Currently, anyone can walk into a school polling place without first presenting identification, which may represent a security risk. Additionally, the bill provides that school officials will have a place on regional Homeland Security Advisory boards. The measure also contains provisions related to bullying. Under current law, electronic communications cannot be legally considered as bullying, but the Oklahoma School Security Act would add text messages and email to the state’s bullying statutes. The bill would also mandate that schools practice lockdowns at least three times annually, rather than just once, as is required by current law. “Parents will be forgiving if a child comes home from school with a rough grade on a paper, but they will not be forgiving if they are not capable of coming home in the same condition they were sent,” Lamb said. “Keeping our children and families safe should be our highest priority, and I feel this proposal is an important effort toward meeting that standard.” For more information contact:
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