by

Fred Swift

Hamilton County Reporter

(NOTE: This is a commentary written by Fred Swift of the Hamilton County Reporter. The views expressed are those of Fred Swift and do not necessarily reflect the views of LarryInFishers.com.  This opinion piece is posted here as part of a partnership between the Reporter and LarryInFishers.com) 

Health, safety and welfare of our citizens are major reasons for having a state government with virtually unlimited power to address these basic needs. Still, our state legislature adjourned this week in the wake of another horrible school shooting without passing legislation that would have provided increased measures for safety in our public schools.

What in the world could be the reason for not addressing this recent crisis potentially facing school kids throughout the state and nation? They say legislators could not agree on the method of funding to better school safety. That is crazy in a state with a greater financial surplus than almost any state in the union.

The legislature met from Jan. 2 until March 14 and had time to consider legislation on such foolish subjects as naming a state insect and governing eyeball tattoos, yet in the final hours of the legislative session could not successfully reach agreement on school safety.

Thank goodness we have not had a major school shooting incident in Indiana, but as seen recently, such a tragedy could happen anywhere at any time.

We can be certain that not one member of the legislature wants to see killings in school or anywhere else, yet with all the time since the first of the year they could not work out the details of funding.

It is a lack of attention to serious matters, it is a lack of good leadership and it is shameful.