PHOENIX – Arizona can protect schools and communities from gun violence by making campuses more secure, increasing services for the mentally ill and tightening gun ownership laws, the top Democrat in the state House said Wednesday.
“Hopefully things have become more apparent to people down here that we need to no longer protect the status quo but move forward with a new line of thinking on this issue,” said Rep. Chad Campbell, D-Phoenix, the House minority leader.
Joined by the state’s largest teachers union, Campbell held a news conference to announce his wide-ranging, $261 million Arizona Safer Schools, Safer Community Plan. It includes $62 million over three years to double the number of school counselors and $138 million annually to expand Medicaid coverage for the mentally ill.
Campbell said the numerous high-profile shootings at schools and other public places over the last two years underscore the need for a comprehensive response to gun violence, particularly the threat to students.
“It’s time to take this thing head on … and talk about it in reasonable terms, not rhetoric,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the plan will be broken into several bills, some of which are already drafted.
Arizona Education Association President Andrew Morrill said schools should reflect the value society places on children.
“That debt, from an educator’s standpoint, begins with safety,” he said.
Campbell’s plan offers a five-point approach to campus safety, mainly by increasing funding for existing programs. It includes a 200 percent increase in funding for a program that pays for school resource officers and would establish a $20 million school safety fund to provide competitive grant money for schools to address needs identified by mandatory threat assessments.
Another section would expand coverage and services for seriously mentally ill individuals who qualify for Medicaid or have incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level.
On gun control, one change proposed by Campbell would close the so-called gun show loophole by requiring background checks for all sales except in cases where a weapon passes between family members as an heirloom.
While Attorney General Tom Horne has proposed arming the principal or another staff member at each school, Campbell’s plan would let individual schools decide whether to have an armed school resource officer.
Morrill said educators don’t want to become armed guards.
“You don’t reduce the violence on Arizona campuses or anywhere by increasing the number of firearms on campus,” he said.
Rey Torres, a spokesman for the House Republican majority, said over the phone that he wouldn’t comment on the plan because it is “irrelevant.”
Campbell, however, said he hopes lawmakers address gun violence without “partisan games.”
“Financially, it’s a fiscally responsible proposal,” he said.
Rich posted at 6:02 pm on Thu, Jan 10, 2013.
The reason schools aren't secure is that the government tried to make them secure. More doses of what created the problem isn't going to provide the solution. This philosophy turned schools into killing fields, what could possibly make anyone think that more of it won't simply make schools more dangerous? These are our children, it's really long past making them this kind of political pawn. Hasn't your political ambition killed enough children for you yet Mr. Campbell? We obviously don't have a good answer to the problem, but we should, at least, have learned not to continue the 'solution' that caused the problem.
hamguy posted at 8:33 pm on Thu, Jan 10, 2013.
Back up a bitand tell us where the money will come from? I'm already taxed out!
mikedurham posted at 9:30 pm on Thu, Jan 10, 2013.
Representative Campbell is on the right track with these legislative efforts. Thanks for the leadership.
thinkkoolaid posted at 9:35 am on Fri, Jan 11, 2013.
the tea party will never let this happen. The kooks in the legislature will never accept any democratic solution. Stop wasting your time Mr. Campbell. The tea party that runs this state wants more guns for everyone! If only those 5th graders in Connecticut had their own assault rifles they could have fought back and killed the murderer.
Assault rifles for all is the new kookdom battle cry. I'm waiting for the tea baggers to introduce their own bill requiring EVERYONE to own an assault rifle by time they go to school. this is the ONLY WAY to keep our kids safe. I'm sure the gun manufacturers will be able to build a "kid friendly" assault rifle, you know, the adult sizes are a bit heavy and it would be unfair to make kids carry a heavy weapon.
With those heavy backpacks with the books in them...and now we can't ask the kids to carry another heavy item. Backpack size assault weapons...perfect...forget the books.....just carry your weapon. That way, the kids could shoot anybody who threatens them...oh wait, you have to arm the teachers too....just in case the kids don't like a homework assignment or test result, the teacher has to be able to defend themselves! Why is this bill taking so long to get introduced?
Tea Party faithful....where are you? Time is wasting, the sooner we get everyone armed, then everything will be fine.
PHXie posted at 11:36 am on Fri, Jan 11, 2013.
@thinkkoolaid: Your arguments are silly and irrelevant. I have not heard of a single person advocating that we arm children. Being snide and purposely antagonistic gets us nowhere. But if you have ideas for common-sense solutions to the problems we face, I'm sure you'll find an interested audience and a useful debate can ensue.
ChillyWilly posted at 2:55 pm on Mon, Jan 14, 2013.
There is ONE solution that nobody is talking about and that is affordable to everyone. Allow CCW at schools. Allow teachers to carry. This won't cost us a dime. Teachers who choose to carry will do it concealed. Janitors and administrators who choose to carry will do it concealed. Parents who choose to carry... will do it concealed. I already know teachers that want to carry and be ready to defend themselves and their students in the unfortunate event that a mass murder comes around. Take a lesson from Israel on this one. Gun Free Zones kill.... not guns.