Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam said it’s “time to have that conversation” when asked about potential safety measures for school buses in the aftermath of a deadly crash in Chattanooga.
Haslam spoke to the media Tuesday morning after Monday’s deadly crash that killed 5 children – three 4th graders, one 1st grader and one kindergartner.
“It's a tragic situation when you have little kids involved,” Haslam said. “So I think that is part of our job, to come back and say ‘are we doing everything we can to ensure safety on school buses.’”
The governor added that he has not yet spoken with lawmakers about the potential of introducing legislation.
“Traditionally, school buses have been the responsibility of the local education authorities, the counties and their school boards,” he said. “If the state passed a new law regarding that, would we take on some of the financial obligation. I think that is all to be discussed.”
The crash in Chattanooga was the third serious wreck involving a school bus in Tennessee within a matter of days.
