Ideas are floating around Lansing about how to make the state’s schools safer from gun violence.
One idea from Republicans would let teachers and school staff have access to firearms in emergencies. The teacher would have to have special training and the weapons would be stored in a secure location.
Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof says he might be on board with this type of plan.
“At this point we could use any volunteers that would want to protect our kids as long as they are trained to a certain level.”
Democrat Robert Wittenberg says the only people who should be armed in schools are uniformed, trained, police officers. He says the bill is reactive instead of proactive.
“You know we can’t predict everything, but we can do everything we can to try and to prevent these things from happening. So I want to have those discussions and not these kneejerk reactions just to arm teachers who don’t want to be armed in the first place.”
Republican Representative Jim Runestad is drafting the bill. He says schools and teachers would be able to choose if they want to participate. The bill would also require that only a few officials, like law enforcement, know which teachers or staff members have access to the weapons.
“I have a 16-year-old daughter that’s in school and I worry every time I see an alert. I would feel safer if this was an option for a school.”
Opponents say there should be fewer guns in school and the guns that are there should only be held by trained law enforcement. Multiple bills to change the state’s gun laws are waiting for a hearing in Runestad’s judiciary committee. Runestad says he’s working with stakeholders to find ways to prevent gun violence.