Senate Legislation Would Fix Flawed Court Decision on Arming School Staff
On Sept. 2, 2020, the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee voted 6-3 in favor of Senate Bill 317. This is the first step toward correcting a terrible court decision that would prevent school districts from allowing teachers and other school staff to carry a concealed firearm in schools to protect students.
Earlier this year, the 12th District Court of Appeals in Southwest Ohio ruled against Madison Local School District in Butler County, concluding that Ohio law did not allow individuals to carry in a school unless they had completed Ohio Peace Officer Training. This training includes more than 700 hours, the vast majority of which has nothing whatsoever to do with stopping active killers!
The 2-1 appeals court decision was plain wrong, which triggered an immediate appeal by the Madison Local Schools.
Buckeye Firearms Association quickly sprung into action, and longtime gun rights supporter State Senator Bill Coley introduced SB 317 which makes it crystal clear that the decision to arm staff is up to local school boards.
After being subjected to hours of anti-gun distortions, propaganda and fear mongering by Mike Bloomberg backed groups, the senators passed the bill out of the Committee, which Sen. Coley chairs. This action clears the way for a vote by the full Senate.
With limited session days left in 2020, it is critical that those who care about school safety call their state senators immediately and ask for their YES vote on SB 317. Be sure to let your senator know that experience has proven that quickly confronting a school killer is the key to saving lives.
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