The House of Delegates passed a bill, which would allow teachers to carry out the firearms hidden as school protection officers.
The bill was passed on Wednesday, 89–11 after a debate over an hour. The bill now goes to the state Senate.
Supporters maintained that teachers could represent the first line of defense against an attack from outside, especially in rural counties where school protection officers are difficult to find or spread thin.
Bill redeneor
“School shooters are terrorists. They are all. They are to terrorize people in school, ”said Representative Bill Ridenore, R-Jefferson, a retired Marine Corps Officer and retired defense intelligence officer.
He said, “What are we watching with teachers carrying teachers here and a school resource authorities are layers of defense. Police is another layer of defense. If they make it through the police, if they come to the past from the SRO, the last line of defense is that the teacher who can be more than an eraser or pencil that they can throw or chase. ,
Critics pushed back that the policy would introduce guns in classes and these accidents can give fatal results, even among teachers with well -meaning. He said that the bill unanswered a lot of questions, such as training is really enough or not.
Kayla Young
“I worry that with such low training that these people are not going to be prepared enough to do so,” said Delegate Kayla Young, D-Kanwa. “I can’t support it. If I do not know where the guns in my young children school are scared me. It scares me a lot. ,
House Bill 4299 will apply to teachers, administrators, assistance personnel in primary or secondary schools, who are volunteers nominated as school protection officers. They will be authorized to carry hidden firearms or an unconscious gun or taser.
Any teacher seeking the designation will require to provide a valid hidden carry permit and proof of a certificate, which demonstrates the completion of a security protection officer training program. Training will include mitigation techniques, potential hazards ineffective and active shooters, de-eskalation technology, crisis intervention and more.
Nonitra hamilton
“So you are telling me that a training is going to give them a white to take an active shooter with an attack weapon. I am not looking at it right now,” Delegate Anitra Hamilton, D-Monongalia said.
Dave Phogin, R-Wood, said that policy gave teachers a chance against an armed intruder. Phogin has been a high school teacher in Parkersburg and has talked about ensuring that students can be preserved under their supervision.
Dave Phogin
“I have learned how to teach different children, how to teach children with all kinds of different abilities. Something that I have not found yet and will never happen how to teach a dead child, ”Phogin said.
“As long as you are not there, you stand in front of those 25 children in every period, 30 children in every period – they see you for leadership, see you for safety.”
He said that his concern would be defenseless: “I could not do anything, I cannot do it. Someone passes through that door with a gun – I could try. I trained to run the mine, cut a window, get out, whatever you can overcome, do. We all got it. ,
The delegates adopted an amendment, which will require local school officials to accept the voluntary status of teachers who meet hidden carry and training requirements. An old version of the bill made alternative to the officials of the local school system.
Dana pharyl
Dana Pharel, R-Kanwa, asked if some schools can carry weapons with many teachers because they have met all the requirements and the school system will be directed to accept them all.
“Already there is a school resource officer, there are two other teachers, one third one, one fourth is going to continue after that?” Fareel asked.
The answer was yes.
But the delegates voted for another proposed amendment, which would have provided a bonus of $ 25,000 for each teacher, who are volunteers for the school protection officer duty.
Sean fluharti
“This amendment works with arms jobs that they really want-Paisa,” said the sponsor of representative Sean Fluharyti, D-Ohio, Amendment. “The bill is essentially forcing teachers to do another job without any money, so they should be rewarded at least.”
House Judicry President Tom Fast, R-Fiyet replied that there is no money for this.
Tom fast
“This is a voluntary program from teachers and others,” Fast said. “This is a bill that does not mean financial burden on the school board.”