Pennsylvania senator plans to introduce bill to allow teachers to carry guns in school
Doug Mastriano says he is working on this bill because of the mass shooting that happened in Uvalde, Texas.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Pennsylvania State Senator and Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Doug Mastriano plans to introduce a bill that would allow teachers to be armed in schools.
Mastriano says he is working on this bill because of the mass shooting that happened in Uvalde, Texas.
"We would require a bit of training, then any teacher with that training under their belt can freely carry a weapon," said Mastriano. "We want these massacres to end, and the answer is not stripping people's constitutional rights."
The memo proposal published to Senate members says it will require armed school employees to have a valid state concealed carry permit and complete a rigorous firearms course from a certified instructor with a signed certificate showing completion.
The idea has already received some criticism and pushback.
"The last thing we need is more firearms in our classrooms and hallways, creating even more opportunities for students and staff to be injured or killed," said Rich Askey, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
There's also opposition from Mastriano's democratic opponent, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro.
"We need to make sure school safety is left in the hands of the professionals in the school district. That's what I support," said Shapiro. "Arming the 3rd grade math teacher is not the answer to keep our kids safe."
According to the brief memo sent to colleagues, 28 other states have clear statutes that allow teachers or school staff to be armed while on school property.
The controversial proposal has failed once before, locally.
In 2019, teachers and parents in the Tamaqua School district filed lawsuits against a similar policy, claiming it violated state law and posed a danger to the community.
"We keep her out of daycare because we're worried about COVID-19. I absolutely would not be comfortable with her being in an environment where there are more guns than there already are," said local parent Brookes Hammock. "I don't think the solution to the school shootings is arming teachers, parents or anyone else."
Despite all the opposition, Mastriano says schools are a 'soft target.'
He believes his bill will help prevent another active shooter situation, like what happened in Uvalde.
