After the shooting at a Florida high school, Republican leadership in Virginia’s General Assembly created a bipartisan workgroup on school safety. The group hasn’t even met yet, but Virginia Democrats are already criticizing it for not tackling gun control. Now, Democrats are starting their own group.
Democrats in Virginia’s House of Delegates say their school safety initiative will have a broader focus, including gun control.
“Let’s face it the conversation on gun safety is incomplete without talking about gun violence,” says Charniele Herring, the Democratic Caucus chair.
Members of this new task force will take input from local leaders, law enforcement, and public forums held around the state over the next several months. They’ll use that feedback to draft gun control legislation for next session.
Related: Leaders in Richmond Are Punting School Safety Talks Until Next Year's Session
“When I reflect on this past session I realize that there was no productive debate on gun safety,” Herring says. “Indeed, most measures failed to get out of the House Committee.”
When asked what will be different about next year’s legislative session, Democrats point to renewed energy from students and parents.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
