The 2018 legislative session is beginning to wind down to a close. In the House, most subcommittees are now closed. In the Senate, several committees have closed, and now only Finance and Judiciary remain open. As remaining committees work their way through final calendars, the legislature also shifts to focusing on the Governor’s budget.
Last week, on Wednesday March 28th, the bill seeking to grant access to in-state tuition for undocumented students was killed, without coming up for a vote in the Senate Education Committee or the House Education Administration and Planning Committee.
Update on SB 2563 arming teachers bill:
Set for House Education Administration and Planning Committee on Tuesday April 3rd at 8 a.m. In the Senate, it is set for the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday at 1 p.m.
On Wednesday March 28th the Governor’s office released the result from the school safety task force convened earlier this month. The recommendations include a safety review for all schools, more funding for School Resource Officers statewide, and the creation of an app where individuals can report threats anonymously. The group also recommended addressing the need for additional behavioral health training to support students with mental health needs. The recommendations would use the 30 million proposed by Haslam for school safety. Now the legislature must consider the school safety proposal, along with the Governor’s budget.