Update: 6:40 p.m.The senate committee voted to advance House Bill 99 after hearing testimony from both sides of the issue during a four-hour session on Tuesday. The bill will be moved to the Rules and Regulations committee for further deliberation. Original story:Among those who think it's not a smart move to make it easier for Ohio teachers to carry guns is 15-year-old Katherine Hiland."More guns in schools only increases the access that students have to guns," Hiland said. "And I would know best. I'm a teenager. We get up to a lot of trouble even when we don't mean to."Hiland testified before an Ohio Senate committee Tuesday in Columbus. The committee is considering House Bill 99, which would cut the training hours for school staff to be certified to carry guns in a school from 700 to 20."We were absolutely just sickened," Michelle Mueller said.Mueller is part of a gun safety group called Moms Demand Action. She said having more teachers with more weapons would be a serious step backward for Ohio."Our teachers are not, didn't sign up for this job to be sharpshooters," Mueller said. "They will tell you in their own voice. They are there to educate our children."Mueller said a better option is to expand background checks on gun buyers and to create a Red Flag law. Those are laws to keep guns out of the hands of people considered dangerous by loved ones and the legal system."The things that we know for certain is when these events happen in every school, there are certain staff who are going to give up their lives to buy these kids a few more seconds of life." Joe Eaton said.Eaton, with Buckeye Firearms, is a big proponent of making it simpler for educators to carry a gun. He says an armed teacher can make a difference if an active shooter suddenly appears."Even if the staff is able to confront them, it changes their focus - from the innocent people to the person confronting them. And that, in and of itself, saves lives," he said. "Teachers are willing to do that. We need to give them the opportunity to go home to their families at the end of the night also."Ohio's change in gun training is because of a state Supreme Court ruling. The justices ruled last year that because the General Assembly did not mandate specific requirements, that teachers would have to have the same training as police — about 700 hours. The bill being debated in Columbus lowers that number to 20 hours.
Update: 6:40 p.m.
The senate committee voted to advance House Bill 99 after hearing testimony from both sides of the issue during a four-hour session on Tuesday. The bill will be moved to the Rules and Regulations committee for further deliberation.
Original story:
Among those who think it's not a smart move to make it easier for Ohio teachers to carry guns is 15-year-old Katherine Hiland.
"More guns in schools only increases the access that students have to guns," Hiland said. "And I would know best. I'm a teenager. We get up to a lot of trouble even when we don't mean to."
Hiland testified before an Ohio Senate committee Tuesday in Columbus. The committee is considering House Bill 99, which would cut the training hours for school staff to be certified to carry guns in a school from 700 to 20.
"We were absolutely just sickened," Michelle Mueller said.
Mueller is part of a gun safety group called Moms Demand Action. She said having more teachers with more weapons would be a serious step backward for Ohio.
"Our teachers are not, didn't sign up for this job to be sharpshooters," Mueller said. "They will tell you in their own voice. They are there to educate our children."
Mueller said a better option is to expand background checks on gun buyers and to create a Red Flag law. Those are laws to keep guns out of the hands of people considered dangerous by loved ones and the legal system.
"The things that we know for certain is when these events happen in every school, there are certain staff who are going to give up their lives to buy these kids a few more seconds of life." Joe Eaton said.
Eaton, with Buckeye Firearms, is a big proponent of making it simpler for educators to carry a gun. He says an armed teacher can make a difference if an active shooter suddenly appears.
"Even if the staff is able to confront them, it changes their focus - from the innocent people to the person confronting them. And that, in and of itself, saves lives," he said. "Teachers are willing to do that. We need to give them the opportunity to go home to their families at the end of the night also."
Ohio's change in gun training is because of a state Supreme Court ruling. The justices ruled last year that because the General Assembly did not mandate specific requirements, that teachers would have to have the same training as police — about 700 hours. The bill being debated in Columbus lowers that number to 20 hours.
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