SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s going to be another busy Monday at the Roundhouse. Two major bills going in front of the Senate Education Committee.
The country and New Mexico have an ongoing issue: teachers and students feel unsafe in their classrooms or on campus.
West Mesa High School teachers spoke at a recent School Board meeting about the recent rise of guns appearing on campus and the low number of security guards the school.
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One bipartisan bill aims to tackle this issue. Senate Bill 95, introduced by Democratic Senator George Muñoz and Republican Representative Ryan Lane, is asking for $25 million for school safety statewide.
The money would allow schools to invest in things like metal detectors, cameras, and even gunshot detection technologies. The Senate Education Committee will see Senate Bill 4 on Monday as well.
Democratic senators Michael Padilla and Leo Jaramillo are introducing the bill that would allocate $30 million to give all New Mexico students free and healthy school lunches. Free school lunches are also something the governor said she will push for this legislative session.
Also happening Monday, the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee will discuss House Bill 127, which aims to increase the salaries for educational assistants from $12,000 to $25,000.
