Dive Brief:
- Lawmakers in Pennsylvania had mixed feelings about a new bill that would allow teachers and school employees to carry guns.
- According to its sponsor, Republican Sen. Donald White (R-Indiana), the bill would increase the options available to districts for protecting students, specifically in rural areas. Opponent Anthony Williams, a Democratic state senator from Philadelphia, countered that having to provide that protection is a "grave responsibility" for educators.
- If passed, the bill would require teachers to obtain a concealed weapon license and go through training.
Dive Insight:
The bill was inspired by the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, as well as the recent knife attack at Franklin Regional High School outside Pittsburgh. At least one educator testified in defense of it.
"They refer to the police as the first responders and we are the first responders. I am the first responder,” he said, “and I believe that I can make a difference and other people like me can make a difference if we have the proper tools and training,” Indiana Area High School math teacher Mark Zilinskas said during a state Senate Education Committee hearing on Tuesday.