WA Senate Dems Shoot Down School Resource, Protection Plan

During the weekend vote on a controversial 'assault weapons' and rifle ban passed by the WA State Senate, one GOP legislator tried to amend it with school security options.

 GOP legislator sees the amendment tossed aside, called out of order

According to information released Tuesday, April 11th by WA State Senate Republican audio video coordinator Tracy Ellis, Senator Phil Fortunato (R-Auburn) proposed an amendment that would have created a grant program for K-12 schools to allow them to obtain school resource security officers and improve their security.

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According to Ellis:

"...the Auburn Republican’s amendment would have spent 50-million-dollars to improve safety and add resource officers at schools to respond to threats."

Part of the amendment reads as follows:

"The office of the superintendent of public 15 instruction shall develop a grant program for the security of K-12 16 public and private schools. The office shall adopt rules for 17 qualifying applicants to include local law enforcement and 18 participating schools."

However, the plan was shot down, so to speak. According to Ellis:

"Democrats objected to the amendment and the Democratic Lieutenant Governor ruled it out of order."

The Senate ban, which would cover the sale, manufacture, marketing, and importing of at least 50 different types of 'rifles' and other related firearm items, passed on party lines 27-21 with all Republicans voting no. The bill had already cleared the State House. However, it does not apply to persons who already own one of these firearms, such as an AR-15.