NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Over the next three years, state office buildings in Downtown Nashville are scheduled to get major security upgrades. The question becomes — should those projects get priority over making schools safer?
While crowds have been tense up on Tennessee's Capitol Hill, Democrats say there's no question that they're still safe when they're up on the hill. "We have a building full of troopers, security, we are safe," said Sen. London Lamar, a Democrat from Memphis who serves as the Senate Democratic Caucus Chair.
Still, lawmakers recently approved a plan to equip all of the state's downtown buildings, including the state capitol, with bullet and riot resistant film that is attached to the existing windows and doors. "We’re going to be looking at state buildings as well to make sure our state employees are safe, to make sure all of the visitors to our state buildings are safe," explained Rep. William Lamberth, a Republican from Portland who serves as House Majority Leader.
The film is created and installed by the company Safe Haven Defense. According to the state, the ballistic film can withstand rounds from an AR-15. Total cost of the project: $3.1 million.
"It actually sounds like they spending more money on keeping themselves safe than actual Tennesseans," said Sen. Lamar ."You can use that 3.1 million dollars to fund conflict resolution programs in our schools. You can use that money to increase job programs, to increase people’s pay."
Republicans argue, last year, they offered up about $40 million for school districts to spend on safety upgrades as a part of a larger school security legislative package. "That’s our top priority, is to make sure every single school in this state is safe. That’s film on windows, that’s going to be new construction standards," explained Lamberth.
"That didn’t require [ballistic] film in every school, did it?" asked NewsChannel 5.
"Allowing them to have the flexibility to decide what’s important for them first is the way to go," replied Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, a Republican from Crossville. "Hopefully we’ll continue to put money in the budget to continue to fund security enhancements for schools."
While some districts applied for the grant money, and installed ballistic film, most spent it on other safety measures. But in the years to come, that could be changing. "My hope and my desire would be, every single school has glass on their exterior doors that cannot be broken, penetrated through, entered through," said Lamberth.
Metro Nashville Schools voted to put ballistic film on all of their schools last year. They used a different vendor. The cost was also about $3 million.
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-Rebecca Schleicher
