Educators Praise New Agency to Prevent Violence, Express Outrage at Plan to Arm Staff

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Educators and families are celebrating Governor Evers’ executive order to create the Wisconsin Office of Violence Prevention. The office will provide grants to school districts, government agencies, law enforcement, non-profit organizations, and firearms sellers to pay for suicide prevention and firearm safety training in schools, law-enforcement investigations, safe gun storage and gun buybacks. The new office will also run public education campaigns, provide technical assistance, and facilitate coordination between local communities and state agencies.

“Violence touches the lives of far too many students and far too many educators, and all efforts to prevent it are welcome and long overdue,” said WEAC President Peggy Wirtz-Olsen. “This office is a good step in the direction of making our schools safer places to learn and work.”

Evers also plans to propose stricter background checks and red flag laws. Republicans were not receptive to Evers’ proposals, with Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Burlington) noting Wisconsin already has some gun control measures and “sometimes people do bad things and there’s only so much we can do to prevent it.”

Republican Bill Would Arm Teachers

Following Evers’ announcement, Republican lawmakers proposed their solutions to gun violence – including arming teachers and eliminating taxes on gun safes.

The proposal would allow teachers with a gun license to carry firearms on campus if school boards adopt a policy allowing it. The plan was brought forward by Rep. Scott Allen (R-Waukesha) and Sen. Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee). “The knowledge that no one on the premises has the firepower to stop them emboldens bad actors,” their co-sponsorship memo states. The proposal was first introduced in 2023 at the request of the Germantown School Board.

Wisconsin’s current law prohibits people (excluding law enforcement officers) from carrying firearms on school grounds.

The elimination of taxes on gun safes was proposed by Evers in his 20203-25 budget, but Republicans removed it. It was also proposed in 2019 with bipartisan support but failed to pass either chamber.

Republican Bill Would Provide Safety Grants

Sen. Jesse James (R-Thorp), Rep. Joy Goeben (R-Hobart) and Rep. Allen are circulating a proposal for safety and training grants. It calls for a one-time $30 million program in the Office of School Safety, with a maximum grant amount of $20,000 per school.

One thing both sides say they agree on is increased student mental health support. WEAC is watching closely and will keep you informed.

Circulating for Co-Sponsorship

• Limiting Governor’s Veto (LRB-0312). Restricts the governor’s partial veto authority. This proposal comes after Governor Evers’ veto extending a minimum increase for public school funding for the next 400 years. Evers’ move, which faces a Supreme Court challenge, would ensure local public schools would no longer be subject to funding freezes. The practice, used to balance the state budget but leaving schools without even an inflationary increase, forces schools to go to referendums to keep open.
• Curriculum Review (LRB 1225 and LRB 1620). Requires school boards to make textbooks, curricula, and instructional materials available for inspection by school district residents. This is a policy school districts already have, but should the state adopt the law, it would shift to a state-mandated policy instead of remaining under local control.
• Ending Work-from-Home. Requires all state employees to return to in-person work by July 1, 2025. The bill’s author cited a report from the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau outlining the extent of telework in state government. The author’s announcement stated, “For example, the audit revealed that an average of only 5.3% of workstations were in use at the Department of Public Instruction… It’s “unconscionable” for 5% of DPI’s employees to be working in-person while teachers across the state are in their classrooms five days a week.”
• Immigration Chaos. WI Dems are circulating bills (LRB-1618, 1688) to limit the ability to detain immigrants in schools and similar places where safety is paramount. “Kids deserve to feel safe in school, people deserve to seek medical care without fear of separation or detainment,” the authors say.
• Capitol Flags. Republicans are circulating a proposal (LRB 0399) to limit the flags that can be flown at the State Capitol, resulting in certain flag – including the Pride flag – from being raised. Governor Evers has been flying the Pride flag at the Capitol since 2019.

Federal Government

All hell’s breaking loose. Trump’s since-rescinded declaration to freeze all federal funding has everyone from teachers to veterans on high alert wondering how the country’s most vulnerable will be impacted. NEA is sorting out what’s real and what’s rumor, Governor Evers quickly sent out a letter to the President and states discovered the Medicaid portal was down. Trump said there was no connection to his freeze announcement and the website issues. Wisconsin was one of 23 states suing to block Trump’s declaration. The order could complicate the final touches on Evers’ budget for the 2025-27 biennium.