Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Gang Prevention topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate approves two small prevention bills after debate over funding process
Summary
Senate Bill 14 (program materials) and Senate Bill 16 (training) — modest prevention measures described as under $20,000 apiece — passed after floor debate that focused less on program content and more on whether the funding route bypassed standard appropriations. Backers argued small state dollars unlock larger private and federal matches.
Lawmakers advanced two related measures aimed at gang- and drug-prevention in schools after a contested floor exchange about how prevention funding is routed.
Senator Delphah Baird, sponsor of SB14 and SB16, framed both as products of an interim gang task force and emphasized testimony from educators and law enforcement on the need for both program materials and training. "We need to pass these bills. We need to fund these bills. They're under $20,000," Baird told the Senate, adding that modest state contributions typically help leverage private-sector matching and federal funds.
Senator Beatty challenged the process: he said an existing coalition had already received about $90,000 to run prevention programs and argued new allocations should be subject to the regular appropriations process so proposals compete with other budget priorities. "My concern is that this is how bureaucracy grows at its best," Beatty said, urging a more transparent budgeting route.
Senators Money and others supported the prevention approach on cost grounds, arguing small prevention investments reduce later correctional spending and improve outcomes. Senator Money said examining other states shows prevention spending can lower corrections costs. The chamber called the question and recorded roll-call results for both measures; the journal records show both bills were passed and prepared for transmission to the House.
Both bills were presented as limited in cost and scope: proponents said the state sums would not fund entire programs but would unlock matching resources and broaden access to training and curricular materials for junior-high and high-school settings.
The Senate's recorded roll-call tallies were read into the journal after votes and clerks processed the results for the day's minutes.
