SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Teachers, students, and parents rally for gun control in Washington, D.C. on March 24, 2018. (Photo: Giles Clarke/Getty Images)
'Madness': Ohio GOP Passes Bill to Arm Teachers
"We aren't trusted with the books we choose, but somehow we're supposed to be trusted with a gun in school?" asked one teachers' union leader.
Jun 02, 2022
With Democrats decrying the proposal as "madness," Republican state lawmakers on Thursday pushed through House Bill 99, which would allow school districts to send teachers and other staff to school with firearms.
The legislation, which Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said he "looks forward to signing," would let school employees carry guns to school after undergoing just 24 hours of training.
"Teachers should not be tasked with stopping a shooter in their schools. Our lawmakers should be tasked with putting common-sense gun violence policy in place to do that."
School districts in the state are already permitted to allow school employees to carry guns, but the state Supreme Court ruled a year ago that all employees need the same amount of firearm training a law enforcement agent would undergo before being armed--728 hours.
Republicans in the state legislature fast-tracked the bill to counter the ruling, with DeWine saying Thursday that the party had removed "hundreds of hours of curriculum irrelevant to school safety," allowing teachers and other employees to more easily carry weapons.
The legislation was passed just over a week after 19 children and two adults were killed in a massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas by a shooter wielding two semi-automatic rifles--the latest high-profile school shooting which has renewed urgent calls for an assault weapons ban that's supported by more than 60% of Americans.
Meanwhile, Republicans including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have pushed proposals to "harden" schools by making them accessible only through one door and by arming school staff.
In Ohio, H.B. 99 has been opposed by teachers' unions, gun control advocates, and law enforcement groups.
"We aren't trusted with the books we choose, but somehow we're supposed to be trusted with a gun in school?" Shari Obrenski, vice president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, said in a hearing regarding the proposal, referring to the book-banning campaign Republicans are also focusing on across the nation.
State Sen. Theresa Fedor, a Democrat, warned Republican lawmakers that they "will have blood on [their] hands" if the legislation leads to a shooting in a school.
"I think it's crazy, the bill is crazy, and the people who support it--you really need to think about what you're doing," said Fedor.
"Teachers should not be tasked with stopping a shooter in their schools," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. "Our lawmakers should be tasked with putting common-sense gun violence policy in place to do that."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
With Democrats decrying the proposal as "madness," Republican state lawmakers on Thursday pushed through House Bill 99, which would allow school districts to send teachers and other staff to school with firearms.
The legislation, which Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said he "looks forward to signing," would let school employees carry guns to school after undergoing just 24 hours of training.
"Teachers should not be tasked with stopping a shooter in their schools. Our lawmakers should be tasked with putting common-sense gun violence policy in place to do that."
School districts in the state are already permitted to allow school employees to carry guns, but the state Supreme Court ruled a year ago that all employees need the same amount of firearm training a law enforcement agent would undergo before being armed--728 hours.
Republicans in the state legislature fast-tracked the bill to counter the ruling, with DeWine saying Thursday that the party had removed "hundreds of hours of curriculum irrelevant to school safety," allowing teachers and other employees to more easily carry weapons.
The legislation was passed just over a week after 19 children and two adults were killed in a massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas by a shooter wielding two semi-automatic rifles--the latest high-profile school shooting which has renewed urgent calls for an assault weapons ban that's supported by more than 60% of Americans.
Meanwhile, Republicans including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have pushed proposals to "harden" schools by making them accessible only through one door and by arming school staff.
In Ohio, H.B. 99 has been opposed by teachers' unions, gun control advocates, and law enforcement groups.
"We aren't trusted with the books we choose, but somehow we're supposed to be trusted with a gun in school?" Shari Obrenski, vice president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, said in a hearing regarding the proposal, referring to the book-banning campaign Republicans are also focusing on across the nation.
State Sen. Theresa Fedor, a Democrat, warned Republican lawmakers that they "will have blood on [their] hands" if the legislation leads to a shooting in a school.
"I think it's crazy, the bill is crazy, and the people who support it--you really need to think about what you're doing," said Fedor.
"Teachers should not be tasked with stopping a shooter in their schools," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. "Our lawmakers should be tasked with putting common-sense gun violence policy in place to do that."
With Democrats decrying the proposal as "madness," Republican state lawmakers on Thursday pushed through House Bill 99, which would allow school districts to send teachers and other staff to school with firearms.
The legislation, which Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said he "looks forward to signing," would let school employees carry guns to school after undergoing just 24 hours of training.
"Teachers should not be tasked with stopping a shooter in their schools. Our lawmakers should be tasked with putting common-sense gun violence policy in place to do that."
School districts in the state are already permitted to allow school employees to carry guns, but the state Supreme Court ruled a year ago that all employees need the same amount of firearm training a law enforcement agent would undergo before being armed--728 hours.
Republicans in the state legislature fast-tracked the bill to counter the ruling, with DeWine saying Thursday that the party had removed "hundreds of hours of curriculum irrelevant to school safety," allowing teachers and other employees to more easily carry weapons.
The legislation was passed just over a week after 19 children and two adults were killed in a massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas by a shooter wielding two semi-automatic rifles--the latest high-profile school shooting which has renewed urgent calls for an assault weapons ban that's supported by more than 60% of Americans.
Meanwhile, Republicans including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) have pushed proposals to "harden" schools by making them accessible only through one door and by arming school staff.
In Ohio, H.B. 99 has been opposed by teachers' unions, gun control advocates, and law enforcement groups.
"We aren't trusted with the books we choose, but somehow we're supposed to be trusted with a gun in school?" Shari Obrenski, vice president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, said in a hearing regarding the proposal, referring to the book-banning campaign Republicans are also focusing on across the nation.
State Sen. Theresa Fedor, a Democrat, warned Republican lawmakers that they "will have blood on [their] hands" if the legislation leads to a shooting in a school.
"I think it's crazy, the bill is crazy, and the people who support it--you really need to think about what you're doing," said Fedor.
"Teachers should not be tasked with stopping a shooter in their schools," said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. "Our lawmakers should be tasked with putting common-sense gun violence policy in place to do that."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy