I received an email from the Center for People in Need today. The email referenced the anti-bullying bill in the Nebraska Legislature. Many of you are familiar with the bill, and familiar with State Senator Philip Erdman’s attempt to derail it. I’ve included the email below, and some other stuff.
PLEASE STOP ATTEMPT TO GUT ANTI-BULLYING BILL (LB205) ACTION ALERT
ISSUE: LB205 requires each school district to develop and adopt a policy concerning bullying prevention and education for all students. The bill is on General File (First Reading) and rapidly moving up on the agenda.
PROBLEM: Sen. Philip Erdman of Bayard (Dist. #47) is attempting to render LB205 useless. He initially filed a kill motion on the bill which he has withdrawn. He now is proposing an amendment which would eliminate the definition of bullying and the requirement for schools to have bullying policies. His proposal simply would add bullying to the existing code of conduct while removing disciplinary action.
ACTION: Please send a message to State Senators as soon as possible. Ask them (1) to reject Sen. Erdman’s amendment (AM337) or any other attempt to kill or water down the bill, and (2) to vote in support of LB205.
GENERAL MESSAGE: I urge you to reject attempts to kill or weaken the provisions of LB205, the anti-school bullying bill. Please support the bill in its current form. Thank you.
I have heard these kids testify and I am definitely for the bully bill. I feel opposition to the bill is by a bully himself or herself. If there is anything I can do please contact me.
Sincerely Kurt Nisley
I urge you to reject attempts to kill or weaken the provisions of LB205 the anti-school bullying bill. Please support the bill in its current form. My daughter has been the subject of bullying in the Central City school district in Nebraska for the last 4 years. My daughter is a very smart young woman, 3rd ranked in her class, and involved in a whole lot of extra-curricular activiies and volunteer work. Involved, I should say, until this last school year because of the constant bullying, which included constant remarks in the hallways, classrooms, things put in locker, stealing from her locker or gym bag, just plain having the wrong last name, harassing phone calls, internet cyberbullying, et cetera. We have been to school each year in regards to this bullying by her classmates. Each year it was not taken serious and as of the 2006-2007 school year still not taken seriously. It got to the point where my child was not provided with an emotionally secure and safe environment in which to receive an education. There were actually threats made on her life and still the school maybe gave a lunch detention or hallway restriction to the bulliers. In fact, the school actually made my daughter out to be the “bad guy” as we never had any actual proof except harrassing phone calls and internet mailings to prove her allegations, and of course, the school said that was not their problem, that they could only handle what happens on school property. Becuase of all this my daughter had to transfer to a different school district, which she did not want to do, but with the school not guaranteeing her safety, we felt as parents, that was the only action to take. Bullying is a big deal in our school systems this day and something needs to be done about the school providing an emotionally secure and safe environment for our children in this day and age. I can see why with bullying we have what is going on in our school systems today, guns, hate crimes, et cetera. So please, I urge you, to reject the attempts to kill or weaken LB205.
Thank you,
LaVon Stuart, mother of a bullied daughter
Taryn Shotkoski, the bullied
Erdman references Billy Madison on the floor of the legislature…
Seriously.