skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Gun Safety Prompts Education Groups to Take Action

play audio
Play

Monday, March 5, 2018   

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee students are mobilizing for civic action this month with a school walkout and marches for changes in current gun laws.

The recent school shooting tragedy in Florida is also prompting organizations traditionally focused on education to become advocates for stricter gun control. Carol Burris, executive director at the Network for Public Education, said while her group was founded to preserve and strengthen public schools, it now finds itself working to secure the safety of the people in the buildings.

"We have never been involved in gun control issues in the past,” Burris said. “But we were just so overwhelmed with grief and with horror, we said as an organization, 'We have to get involved in this.'"

This month, Tennessee students will join other activists to protest current state and federal gun laws. The National Student Walkout is March 14, and the March for Our Lives is March 24.

Late last month, Tennessee lawmakers introduced HB 2208 in the legislature. The bill would allow a small number of teachers to carry guns on campuses.

The Network for Public Education has also declared April 20 a National Day of Action against gun violence in schools, on the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting. Burris said while there's always public outcry after a mass shooting, this time feels different to her.

"We know that there is always a straw the breaks the camel's back. There comes a point in time where people rise up and they say, 'No more,’” she said. “And this is that moment with gun violence."

The American Civil Liberties Union has pledged to protect students' legal rights to peacefully protest at the March 14 and 24 events. Several Tennessee school systems have said they won't punish kids for walking out of school - other than recording an absence for the day.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


A 2022 report finds failing to speed up transmission beyond the current pace will increase 2030 U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by 800 million tons per year. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021