Superintendents from several Metro-area school districts met with Nebraska Congressman Don Bacon Thursday evening on the University of Nebraska Omaha campus. The school leaders urged Bacon to support legislative action to prevent school massacres.
Gretna Superintendent Dr. Kevin Riley said: "We will not change the situation for children until we change the behavior of adults."
Riley made an impassioned plea to Congressman Bacon - not for stricter gun laws - but for more funding to treat students with mental illness. He said: "We have to provide long-term care for our kids."
The superintendents also raised concerns about social media, where bullies can all-too-often push students to a violent breaking point. Riley said: "Social media is not regulated. We're so worried about censorship that we've lost sight of protecting our kids."
Congressman Bacon said he is willing to explore social media safeguards. He said: "Why should a 13 year-old be able to pull down anything they can off the social media?"
Bacon also said he agrees student mental health needs to be addressed. He said the question for him is how to turn ideas into meaningful legislation before another school is targeted. He said: "I wish I was smart enough to know what the answer is now. I don't."
Earlier on Thursday, Bacon met with Metro-area sheriffs, police chiefs, and county attorneys to unveil new proposed control and gun safety legislation.
Bacon said he is pushing a bill that would make it easier for retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed weapons. He also said he is supporting a measure that would increase punishments for "straw purchases" - when someone illegally buys a gun for someone else who isn't allowed to have one.