New Utah school safety law earns praise from victims’ families, but cost concerns persist

SALT LAKE CITY — Family members who lost children in the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history came to Utah to celebrate a new law aimed at making schools safer.

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Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson ceremonially signed HB84 into law during an event Wednesday at the University of Utah. The new law does a lot, including requiring access to panic buttons that teachers can press if there’s an emergency. It also requires schools to have some sort of armed guard inside.

Loved ones of school shooting victims told KSL TV they believe the law will make a difference.

But there are also concerns about how these changes will be paid for.

Pushing for safer schools

Max Schachter and Lori Alhadeff don’t live in Utah but found themselves in Salt Lake City on Wednesday morning because of their children.

Holding photos of their children, they remembered the ninth graders – Alex Schachter and Alyssa Alhadeff – who were killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in 2018.

“Alyssa was a soccer player,” Alyssa Alhadeff said, “vivacious, amazing, spunky girl.”

Max Schachter remembered his son’s love for marching band and basketball.

“He was just a little boy that loved Nutella crepes,” he said, “and he loved the band Chicago.”

Since that tragic day six years ago, Alyssa’s mom and Alex’s dad have been pushing for change. They’re happy Utah legislators passed HB84, which was recently signed into law.

Continue reading at ksltv.com.