10,000 signatures reached
To: Governor Rick Scott
Veto Bill to Fund Militarization of Florida Schools
The Florida Legislature approved a bill this week that would allow teachers and school staff to carry guns and allocate $400 million toward increased police presence and surveillance in schools. This is the last stop for Florida students of color.
Tell Governor Rick Scott if he does not veto SB 7026, it will cost black and brown students in Florida their lives.
Tell Governor Rick Scott if he does not veto SB 7026, it will cost black and brown students in Florida their lives.
Why is this important?
The state of Florida needs change to prevent more tragedies, but it will not come with more children staring down the barrel of a gun.
Three weeks ago, 17 students and school staff were murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and Florida was shaken to its core. The Florida legislature followed Governor Rick Scott's lead in drafting "solutions" that involve filling Florida schools with even more guns. Our state's elected officials have approved a bill that provides funding to arm school staff, including teachers, coaches, librarians and counselors, while dramatically increasing funding for police and high level surveillance security in schools. At Governor Scott's direction, this bill will make Florida schools a lot scarier for students, particularly students of color, across the state.
After Columbine, 10,000 school police officers were hired to prevent another mass shooting. Two decades later and more police presence in school has not proven to be an effective solution and has not stopped a single mass shooting. Instead, police in Florida have locked up 1 million children, mostly black children, for routine behavior disruptions, like talking back to a teacher or getting into schoolyard scuffles.
The proposed bill allots $400 million to make our schools feel more like prisons when they should feel sanctuaries. This bill will have catastrophic consequences for insurmountable numbers of black, brown and poor youth in Florida.
Our representatives have a responsibility to act in a way that keeps all Florida children safe. Tell Governor Rick Scott to veto any bill to allocate resources for more police and guns in schools.
Supporters
Dream Defenders
Power U Center for Social Change
Advancement Project National Office
Color of Change
Florida’s Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199
New Florida Majority
Miami Worker's Center
Alliance for Education Justice
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Three weeks ago, 17 students and school staff were murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and Florida was shaken to its core. The Florida legislature followed Governor Rick Scott's lead in drafting "solutions" that involve filling Florida schools with even more guns. Our state's elected officials have approved a bill that provides funding to arm school staff, including teachers, coaches, librarians and counselors, while dramatically increasing funding for police and high level surveillance security in schools. At Governor Scott's direction, this bill will make Florida schools a lot scarier for students, particularly students of color, across the state.
After Columbine, 10,000 school police officers were hired to prevent another mass shooting. Two decades later and more police presence in school has not proven to be an effective solution and has not stopped a single mass shooting. Instead, police in Florida have locked up 1 million children, mostly black children, for routine behavior disruptions, like talking back to a teacher or getting into schoolyard scuffles.
The proposed bill allots $400 million to make our schools feel more like prisons when they should feel sanctuaries. This bill will have catastrophic consequences for insurmountable numbers of black, brown and poor youth in Florida.
Our representatives have a responsibility to act in a way that keeps all Florida children safe. Tell Governor Rick Scott to veto any bill to allocate resources for more police and guns in schools.
Supporters
Dream Defenders
Power U Center for Social Change
Advancement Project National Office
Color of Change
Florida’s Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1199
New Florida Majority
Miami Worker's Center
Alliance for Education Justice
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)