Allowing Children To Wear Bulletproof Backpacks At School Receives Approval From The Senate

Lawmakers approve legislation to allow students to have a bulletproof backpack at school. West Monroe Senator Mike Walsworth says parents are looking at ways to make sure their children can protect themselves, if a shooter enters the school. He says this is one option.

“You can do it two ways. You can put a piece of metal inside the backpack. That costs about 50. The backpacks themselves that’s got a different thing, would cost anywhere from 100… 150 maybe, to 200 dollars,” Walsworth said.

The vote for the bill was 34-2. New Orleans Senator J-P Morrell was one of the two no votes. Morrell says police officers wearing bulletproof vests still receive serious injuries if struck by a bullet and the bulletproof backpacks can’t guarantee that a bullet would just bounce off a child.

“The concern I have is that, when you have a bill like this… you really push a false sense of security on parents, that by purchasing this, their kids are safe, if a shooter enters a school,” Morrell said.

Morrell says he’d rather pass legislation to make sure mentally disturbed individuals can’t get their hands on a gun.

“I’m hoping this backpack never has to be used. I’m hoping that we’ll never, ever have that kind of shooting here, but I can’t guarantee.” Walsworth said.