Texas School Safety Initiative Earmarks $50M for Police Shields

Following the school shooting in Uvalde, Tx. that killed 19 students and two teachers in May, Texas state leaders have announced a $100 million investment in measures meant to improve school safety, reports the Texas Tribune. Some $50 million —nearly half of the funds— will be spent on bullet-resistant shields for school police officers. Another $17.1 million will go to purchase silent panic alarms at Texas schools. Critics questioned the allocation. “We need evidence-based solutions to prevent school gun violence, not ineffective measures that militarize our schools,” Liz Hanks, a volunteer with the Texas chapter of Moms Demand Action, said in a press release from Every Town For Gun Safety.