Walker calls on Wisconsin legislature to pass school safety plan

WISCONSIN (CBS 58) -- Gov. Scott Walker says everyone needs to feel safe in Wisconsin schools, and he has a plan to make it happen.

Walker says there's one big goal of his $100 million school safety plan.

"Everyone who visits our schools here and across the state should feel absolutely safe," Walker said.

The proposal would create a brand new state office of school safety,  provide law enforcement with school blueprints.
and give out the $100 million in grants for building improvements, training, and armed guards.

"The department of justice can get these grants out so that kids going back to school this next school year will have all the help and support that they need from school districts all across the state," Walker said.

The governor says he does not support arming teachers, a strategy Sen. Ron Johnson, R-WI, thinks could be useful for a select few.

"Those that are truly trained," Johnson said. "Possibly former military individuals. Others that are very familiar with weapons and would be willing to go through a strong training course. I have no problem. I think what we do need to do is create doubt in the minds of people that might want to perpetrate that.

Johnson says school safety is best left to local and state governments, and the federal government can only do so much.
walker says a big part of today's tour was calling out to the state legislature to pass the plan.

"We want to make sure that the state Assembly and the state Senate, both of whose leaders have expressed support for this package, get it done."

The state Assembly is expected to take the proposal up Thursday. Senate leadership has said they are working on a similar plan, but both would have to pass the same exact same bill to get it to the governor's desk.