One of the nation’s most aggressive efforts to arm teachers against school shootings is clashing with concerns it would create safety risks by stripping local education officials of the power to decide who can take a gun into school. A bill backed by the National Rifle Association that is moving through Idaho’s Republican-dominated state legislature would allow any public school board employee to carry a firearm on the job without school board approval. Employees would need an enhanced concealed-weapons license, which requires an 8-hour course but no proof of shooting skill. Idaho school boards can authorize teachers and other non-security staff to be armed and set the terms. An estimated 15 of Idaho’s 172 school districts and charter schools authorize certain staff to be armed, reports the Wall Street Journal. Rep. Ted Hill, the bill’s lead sponsor, said that leaves too many schools unprotected, especially in rural areas. He said while his preference is for every school to have armed security guards, that isn’t feasible. So he wants to make it easier for teachers statewide to carry guns in class, even if a local school board objects.
The bill sailed through Idaho’s House and awaits action in the Senate, which like the House, has a Republican supermajority. The Idaho measure has drawn opposition from law-enforcement organizations, education groups, and gun-control advocates. Their concerns include the loss of local control and the lack of additional training requirements, which some say could make classrooms less safe. Some Idaho districts that already have armed staff don’t want to give up the ability to vet who gets the privilege. “If I have a disgruntled employee who has a concealed weapon and can carry in my building, that’s obviously a concern for me,” said Stefanie Shaw, superintendent of the one-school district in Dietrich. The Idaho Sheriffs’ Association said a key concern is a clause seen as ensuring legal immunity for any staff member who fires a gun at school, “even if they have done something careless, reckless or criminal,” said Executive Director Jeff Lavey. Hill said the clause was meant to clarify that armed staff wouldn’t be legally obligated to engage a shooter.
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