Florida teachers can now arm themselves
Well, not just yet...
Florida's state legislature passed a bill on Wednesday that will allow teachers to carry guns in the classroom. Florida's House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 65 to 47 and the State Senate passed it last week by a vote of 22 to 17. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, is expected to sign the bill making it a law.
Legislative Action after Parkland
After the Parkland school shooting, lawmakers jammed legislation through that required schools to place an armed staff member or law-enforcement officer at every campus. This new program dubbed the "guardian" program, did allow for school staff to be armed but not teachers who "exclusively perform classroom duties. Gun-rights advocates argued that school shootings happen to fast for law enforcement officers to respond, and we need teachers to be armed and ready to stop a threat.
A Win for Gun Advocates
President Trump and the NRA have been arguing that an armed teacher is the best defense against a mass shooter. Under this new bill, the Guardian program will allow teachers to carry a firearm in the classroom. The teacher would have to pass a 144-hour training course before being able to carry.
- School employees in 40 of 67 Florida counties are already enrolled in the 144-hour course.
- Florida gun-control advocate groups like former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's group, plan to challenge the bill
- Parkland's Broward County superintendent has said that the county will continue to not arm teachers despite the new law.
