I have been a lawyer for more than 50 years and I served in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate. I’ve been appointed to the Florida Commission on Ethics three times. But none of those titles hold a candle to being called Dad and Grandpa.
Like many of you, my children and grandchildren are my greatest treasures. As the world becomes more challenging, and at times even dark, I worry about the safety of my family.
Recent actions taken by Gov. Ron DeSantis have allayed some of my fears. Just weeks after the tragic and deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Florida’s governor signed several bills into law making schools here safer for our kids.
One of the bills, HB 1421, requires mental-health “crisis intervention” and de-escalation training for on-campus law enforcement officers. The measure includes giving the State Board of Education rulemaking authority over emergency drills.
Other safety measures include practicing drills for “active assailant and hostage situations,” bomb threats, and natural disasters at least once a year. In addition to training for school police officers, 80 percent of employees at all schools will.be required to receive training in “youth mental health awareness and assistance.”
The governor has allotted more than $300-million dollars in school safety funding. The new laws go into effect July 1st.
