BY SANDY THEIS
Enquirer Columbus Bureau
COLUMBUS -- Citing statistics that show school violence is on the rise, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Taft proposed tougher penalties for those who commit crimes on school property and laws making gun owners responsible for safe storage of firearms.
"Every child in Ohio deserves an opportunity to attend a safe school," Mr. Taft said Thursday.
The announcement, scheduled days ago, came just hours after an Oregon student opened fire in a high school cafeteria.
Mr. Taft said the Governor's Office of Criminal Justice Services reports that 18 percent of high school students said they have brought a gun, knife, club or other weapon to school during the previous year.
His plan includes:
- $20 million in his first two-year budget to pay for alternative schools for disruptive students in the eight largest urban districts, including Cincinnati Public Schools. Lawmakers mandated the schools last year but provided no money to pay for them.
- Passage of a law requiring unspecified penalties against adults if their negligence results in a child's bringing a gun to school.
- Requiring gun dealers to offer "trigger locks" for sale at the time of a firearm purchase.
- Requiring all schools to establish a comprehensive plan to identify possible dangers and strategies to deal with them.
- Forcing the School Facilities Commission to beef up safety considerations when designing or renovating buildings.
Mr. Taft will face former Ohio Attorney General Lee Fisher, a Democrat, in the November election.
