• In Oklahoma, the Senate passed a gun bill that opens the door for more school employees to carry guns. House Bill 2336 passed through the House last year and now goes to the Governor. If enacted, the law would require a school employee to have the eight (8) hours training that is required for the standard firearm permit, along with the permission of the school board and training as required by local law enforcement.
• In Louisiana, an analysis of the state data indicates that more than half of the state’s school districts increased safety spending. K-12 schools in Louisiana increased its annual spending on safety measures to at least $32 million in the 2017-18 school year, the most recent year data is available, from $28 million in 2015-16, according to the Louisiana Department of Education. One school district spends $3 million a year to have law enforcement officers on its campuses.
• In Kentucky, juvenile justice officials are reporting a decrease in the number of criminal complaints involving juveniles since the passage of Senate Bill 200. Enacted in 2014, the law creates a pre-court diversion process for low-level delinquent and status offenders that utilizes a multidisciplinary review team, case management and referrals to services. One county is reporting a 53% decrease in juvenile complaints.
• In Kentucky, a lawsuit filed by Daviess County Public Schools against e-cigarette manufacturer Juul Labs says the school district was harmed by a coordinated effort by Juul to addict students to nicotine. The educators allege that Juul engaged in racketeering by employing advertising firms to draw teens’ eyes to Juul products, by paying internet influencers to recommend Juul devices to their followers and also by rewarding affiliate social media sites and blogs who would refer viewers to Juul.