Missouri Lawmakers? Solution: Armed Teachers in Classrooms

If 25 members of the Missouri General Assembly have their way, armed teachers in the state's classrooms may become more prevalent. House Bill 70 was introduced by state Rep. Mike Kelley, R-Lamar, in wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Conn. The bill, if passed, would authorize teachers and school administrators to carry concealed firearms onto school property if they have a state-regulated permit.

* The legislation covers elementary, secondary and higher education facilities. Current law allows firearms on school property, but only if the governing body of the institution approves first. The new law removes the part where teachers and administrators must get permission to carry a gun from school boards. Instead, local districts will need to enact policies regulating the use of firearms by school staff.

* The Springfield News-Leader reports reaction to the filing was mixed. State Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, is one of the co-sponsors of the legislation. He told the media outlet, "You don't create a safe environment by banning guns from an area. All you're doing is creating an area that is a focal point for criminals with guns to concentrate."

* Burlison also told the News-Leader the law would take authorization of concealed weapons out of the hands of individual districts. The Greene County Sheriff's department promised to give free training and free permits to any staff member of a Greene County school who wants to carry a concealed weapon.

* Ray Smith, president of the Springfield National Education Association, rebuked the attempt to bring more guns into schools. Smith called the bill a "reaction" that isn't well thought out, according to the News-Leader. The official felt there would be too much "collateral damage" if more guns showed up on campus.

* According to Nexstar Broadcasting in Joplin, Kelley said the new legislation gives teachers "all the tools they need" to "protect our children" on school property. Carl Junction School District Superintendent Dr. Phillip Cook countered it is time to "evaluate, not react" to school shootings. Cook also told the media outlet if someone can convince him that arming teachers is "the appropriate thing to do," then he'll support the measure. The administrator stressed school security should be examined as a whole, not just arming teachers as a panacea.

* The legislation was prefiled on Tuesday ahead of next year's legislative session. It would repeal Section 571.107 of the Missouri Revised Statutes which enumerates 17 public places where concealed weapons are banned. The new law adds a clause excepting a "teacher or school administrator" from the ban on concealed weapons in schools without the need to get permission from the governing body.

* The Missouri General Assembly will have a supermajority during the 2013 and 2014 legislative sessions. Lawmakers will have the ability to override Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon's vetoes strictly along party lines for the next two years if the makeup of the General Assembly remains intact.

William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/missouri-lawmakers-solution-armed-teachers-classrooms-221200531.html

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