MADISON, Wis. — Republican lawmakers appear willing to grant the Department of Justice’s $2.3 million funding request for an office that helps schools prepare for and recover from acts of violence.
The Office of School Safety was created in 2018 by then-Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers continued to support the program with roughly $1.8 million in federal pandemic relief funds. But the office ran into hurdles in the last budget cycle when the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee rejected its request for $2.2 million in funding over the 2023-2024 biennium.
Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul said that amount was necessary to keep the office running without federal funds, but lawmakers opted not to give the program any additional state funding.
Kaul warned that failure to fully fund the program would result in its 24-hour tip line closing and schools losing other valuable services. In March 2024, the Legislature passed a one-time funding plan for the office separate from the budget.
Now, the Office of School Safety’s state funding is coming up for consideration again in the next state budget, which lawmakers will spend the first half of 2025 writing.
“Look, this is about keeping our kids safe. This should be a top priority for everybody,” Kaul said on Thursday.
In an interview on Wednesday, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos signaled that he plans to give the office the $2.3 million it’s asking for.
“I think we did a lot of things – you know, making sure it’s harder to access a school, making sure we have more funding for school-based mental health, and then lastly the Office of School Safety. I think those are all good responses to a tragic situation, and that’s why I think we’ll probably support those again, but I don’t want to make commitments until I see all the details,” Vos said.
Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu has also voiced his intent to fund the program.
However, Republicans remain opposed to Democratic-backed gun safety proposals, such as red-flag laws and universal background checks. Democrats have promised to reintroduce those ideas in the new legislative session that begins on Jan. 6.
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