LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Kentucky lawmakers hope a recently passed law will help to decrease the severity - and even prevent some school shootings in the state. A bill passed earlier this year would require an armed school resource officer to be placed at every school campus in the state by August, with provisions made for schools that can either not afford or that cannot find officers.
“It's just a horrible day,” said Kevin Bratcher, responding to the Texas school shooting that left 19 children dead. He was the primary co-sponsor of the bill.
“I could hardly sleep last night, it's just how many of these are we going to have to endure, it's just horrible.”
More than half of all Kentucky schools lack a school resource officer, according to a state security marshal report.
Critics of the bill argued a more comprehensive solution was needed. In addition, they pointed out that school shootings have still taken place at schools with school resource officers, as there were in Texas.
“All we can do is just get up the next day and see what we can do to prevent this,” Bratcher said.
Asked what the next step would be after school resource officers are in schools, he said those plans should wait until the resource officers are in place.
