PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — In the wake of a deadly elementary school shooting in Tennessee earlier this week, state lawmakers across the country are moving forward with school safety measures. They range from requiring schools to have panic alert systems to emergency communications systems. The Oregon House, for example, has unanimously passed a bill that would require schools to send electronic notifications to parents as soon as possible after a safety threat. The Missouri House meanwhile has approved $50 million for school safety grants in next year’s budget. Many of the measures have bipartisan support. Lawmakers see them as a way to boost school security while avoiding the hot-button issue of gun control.
