Home Republicans this week put ahead three proposals geared toward making it simpler to coach and arm college workers to defend themselves from college shooters, simply days after a faculty capturing in Nashville took the lives of three younger college students and three workers members.
The March 27 capturing at The Covenant Faculty, a personal spiritual college, as soon as extra prompted Democrats to name for extra gun management measures. However Republican lawmakers launched three payments primarily based on the concept the easiest way to guard colleges is to make them much less of a goal.
“Gun-free zones are ineffective and make our colleges much less protected. Since 1950, 94 p.c of mass public shootings have occurred in locations the place residents are banned from having weapons,” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., mentioned this week. “Banks, church buildings, sports activities stadiums, and plenty of of my colleagues in Congress are protected with firearms. But youngsters contained in the classroom are too regularly left weak.”
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A police officer walks by an entrance to The Covenant Faculty after a capturing in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday, March 27, 2023. (AP Photograph/John Amis)
Massie and greater than 20 Home Republicans launched the Secure College students Act on Thursday, which might repeal the Gun-Free Faculty Zones Act of 1990. He mentioned repealing that legislation would make it simpler for state and native governments to set their very own firearms guidelines.
Massie’s invoice is supported by teams just like the Gun Homeowners of America, DC Challenge – Girls for Gun Rights and the American Firearms Affiliation.
“Greater than three a long time of proof because the passage of the ‘Gun-Free Faculty Zones Act’ exhibits us that those that want to do hurt to others particularly goal colleges as a result of they know everybody there’s a sitting duck,” mentioned Patrick Parsons of The American Firearms Affiliation. “These ‘gun free zones’ do not work, they empower criminals and endanger college students, academics and workers.”
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Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and different Republicans say the easiest way to stop extra college shootings is to arm colleges in opposition to intruders. (Photograph By Invoice Clark/CQ-Roll Name, Inc by way of Getty Photographs)
Additionally on Thursday, Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., proposed laws on his personal that redirect unused COVID funding meant for colleges so state schooling companies can fund college safety enhancements. These enhancements embody bodily safety measures but in addition armed college useful resource officers.
Garcia’s invoice goals to rent at the very least two armed officers for each 500 college students at a faculty, and the lawmaker famous that latest information exhibits fewer than half of faculties have a useful resource officer on campus for a least sooner or later every week.
“No person on this nation needs to see these tragic occasions proceed, and now we should work collectively to seek out options to discourage future violence from happening,” mentioned Garcia, who known as his invoice a “commonsense” measure geared toward hardening colleges in opposition to violent crimes.
A 3rd invoice provided on Thursday, from Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., takes an identical strategy and establishes a federal grant program geared toward boosting college safety, together with by coaching and hiring veterans and former cops as college security officers.
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White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and different Democrats have criticized Republicans for not passing new laws limiting entry to firearms. (Photograph by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photographs) (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Photographs)
Mass capturing occasions have usually led to little in the way in which of latest laws, as Republicans and Democrats have opposing concepts on the best way to stop them. Final week, White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accused Republicans of doing “nothing” within the wake of the Nashville capturing, and once more known as for brand spanking new gun management legal guidelines.
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“We have to cross an assault weapons ban, mandate common background checks, require protected storage of weapons, maintain producers accountable,” she mentioned. “These are simply commonsense insurance policies with broad public help.”
