Published 8:04 am Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Make schools safer

The recent shooting at the Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend brings to light several issues that should concern every Oregon resident. First, what can the state do to make schools safer? There were four bills in the 2023 Oregon legislative session — HB 3261, HB 3350, HB 3101 and HB 3354 — which were voted against by Janelle Bynum, among others; these bills would have significantly improved school safety. One has to ask why ? Oregon spends $19,700 per student (one of the highest amounts in the nation), yet we cannot afford additional school safety measures? We spend tens of millions of dollars on homeless programs, yet we cannot find the money to make schools safer?

A second concerning issue is the lack of support in Oregon for mental health services. Oregon leads the nation in teen suicides. It also ranks at the very bottom for adult and youth mental illness prevalence.…