April 29, 2005
Friday

In a bipartisan vote to protect the safety of Alaska's schoolchildren, the House Special Committee on Education on Thursday passed House Bill 233, the "bullying bill," out of committee. Rep. Woodie Salmon, D-Beaver, sponsored the bill.
 
"I introduced this bill because I was asked by several parents to address bullying in Alaska's schools and because I am concerned about the safety of our children," Representative Salmon said. "This bill requires school districts to have a policy on bullying and demonstrates that the Legislature supports schools' efforts to tackle intimidation and harassment among Alaska's children."
 
Representative Salmon received several requests from parents to introduce this legislation. Margit Brooks from Tok, Co-Director of the parental organization Bully Police Alaska, urged the committee to address this issue. "There are a handful of states that have done the right thing for our kids. They have put laws into place about bullying. There are some states that are 'considering' putting laws into place about bullying. In my mind there shouldn't be any 'considering'. It's a no-brainer. It should be a done deal."
 
Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Wasilla, who chairs the House Special Committee on Education and is a co-sponsor of HB 233, indicated his support for the bill.  "I'm glad Representative Salmon introduced this legislation to deal with the serious problem of childhood bullying, and I am proud that the bill passed out of committee."
 
The bill moves to the House Judiciary Committee next.

Source of News Release:

Alaska Republicans
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