Senate Pro Tem, Lt. Governor meet to continue discussion on school security

In the wake of the tragic school shooting in Florida, Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz and Lt. Governor Todd Lamb met this week to further the conversation on school security and safety.

In 2012, Lt. Governor Lamb chaired the Oklahoma Commission on School Security (OCSS), which issued a detailed report of findings and recommendations on school security and safety issues. Lamb said he plans to meet again with those who served on the 2012 commission, and whose work has served as a national model for other states studying school security issues.

Pro Tem Schulz said he appreciates Lamb sharing his input and expertise earned after more than a decade of work on school security. Legislation that Lamb sponsored while a member of the Senate has served as model legislation for other states reviewing school security issues, Schulz said.

“As a parent of two children who attended public schools, I can’t imagine the tremendous sadness of those parents in Florida who lost their children in this horrific tragedy,” said Schulz, R-Altus. “We need to continually examine whether we need to do more at the local and at the state level to keep our kids, teachers and schools safe. Lt. Governor Lamb is an expert on the issue given his time in law enforcement, as a member of the Senate working on school security, and his work with the Oklahoma Commission on School Security. I appreciate Lt. Governor Lamb’s willingness to share his expertise with the Senate as we continue to look at school security issues.”

Schulz said he wanted to further the conversation on school security as legislators consider, in the wake of the Florida tragedy, if any further action is necessary on school security.

“As a state senator in 2008 I authored SB 1941, the Oklahoma School Security Act, and in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook tragedy in 2012, I led a thorough, comprehensive discussion to assess the security of students, teachers and school personnel in every Oklahoma school,” Lamb said. “After a ten-week comprehensive analysis, that included dozens of subject matter expert presentations, 20 findings were presented. Among the findings, five recommendations were made, the primary of which was the creation of the Oklahoma Commission on School Security. I am proud of the commission’s work, and wide variety of professionals who gave of their time to serve, including teachers, superintendents, counselors and school board members, law enforcement, public safety officials and many more.”

“In the wake of the tragedy in Florida, it is time to review the policies and action plans of the OCSS, and to discuss any new polices that could aid in further strengthening school security. I look forward to meeting with the commission, and I commend Senator Schulz for his dedication in supporting the same. The security of our students, teachers and support personnel must be a daily priority,” Lamb said.