FRANKFORT, Ky. — More than a year after two students were killed in a shooting at Marshall County High School, Governor Matt Bevin signed a school safety bill backed by the victims' parents.
Senate Bill 1, backed by the parents of Bailey Holt and Preston Cope, was hailed as the most important proposed legislation this legislative session. The bill landed on the governor's desk after the Senate unanimously passed the legislation in January, and the House passed with a 96-3 vote.
As Bevin signed the bill, Brian and Teresa Cope, and their nearly 13-year-old son Maddox were nearby, Brian holding tight to the orange and blue leather his son once flashed on the field.
"We keep it in his room. It's hard to go in his room...we haven't touched it since the day that he left," Brian said. "Just a lot of memories a lot of good memories."
Preston Cope played baseball for Marshall County, his mother saying that spring often brings memories of going to the ballpark, watching him on second base.
"Sometimes...that moment hits where 'Where's Preston?" Teresa said. "It's tough, you look at second base and he's not there."
The Copes said they miss everything, including those moments parents dread like rushing from activity to activity.
"I miss that time, because just the drive alone," Teresa said. "We had great conversations and a lot of times I'd just be driving and he would just chime in with conversations...that's when he would open up."
Since their son's passing, the Copes now focus on Maddox -- and the other Kentucky kids they pray do not face the same fate. Today's school safety bill signing, Brian said, is a way to not only honor their son and fellow victim Bailey Holt, but help ensure other children do not face the same fate.
"Yeah we'd like to have him back, we'd love to have him right here, but that's not...in God's plan," Brian said. "God needed Preston and he's using Preston "
The bill sets a goal of providing more school resource officers and mental health professionals in schools as well as creating a new position of a school security marshal. While there is not yet funding set aside, Bevin promised it will come.
"You want to protect other parents from feeling this way," Teresa said. "You want to protect other kids. You don't want anyone else getting hurt or killed because of a senseless act."
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