Charleston, WV – West Virginia State Auditor JB McCuskey is calling on the legislature to take steps to ensure our schools are safe and to protect our most vulnerable; our kids.
In light of the terrible tragedy at Covenant School in Nashville, Auditor McCuskey is asking the
legislature to once again take up the Guardian Bill (SB 282). The bill would provide an armed
guard in every school in the state through a veteran or retired police officer.
This is a bill the Auditor’s Office followed very closely through the regular session as an agency
that deals with county school systems and their budgets. It is also of particular interest to Auditor
McCuskey as a statewide constitutional officer, but most importantly, as a dad to two elementary
aged daughters. Like all parents, he drops them off for school each morning and shouldn’t have to
worry if they will return home in the evening.
“There is no greater resource, or responsibility that we owe, than to our children. Every West
Virginia family deserves to feel confident that their child will return home from school safely,”
McCuskey said. “Government spends on what it prioritizes and today I am calling on state leaders
to prioritize the safety of our children. This in an investment that we must make as leaders to
ensure safety and to show parents here and around this country that we value the lives and futures
of our children above all else. When it comes to their lives, immediate action matters.”
The Guardian Bill passed the senate unanimously, made it through the House Education Committee
but did not make it to the House floor. McCuskey is calling for the legislature to act on the bill now
through a special session.
