Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
More Armed Teachers Allowed Under Florida Bill
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
April 24, 2019

Share

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida is on the verge of expanding a law that allows some teachers to carry guns in the classroom after the Senate passed a wide-ranging school safety bill Tuesday.
The bill seeks changes to a law enacted last year after a gunman killed 17 people in a rampage at a Parkland high school. While Democrats and Republicans agreed on nearly all other provisions in the bill, the one sticking point was a proposed expansion of a “guardian program” that allows guns in schools. Right now, only teachers who have a role outside the classroom, such as an athletic coach, can participate. The vote was 22-17, with all but one Republican in favor and all Democrats opposed.

Expands Eligibility to All Teachers

The bill would make all teachers eligible for the program if they volunteer, undergo psychological evaluation, are trained by a sheriff’s office and the school districts approve. It passed on a 22-17 vote with all Democrats against and all but one Republican in favor. Democrats argued there’s a greater chance of a student being accidentally shot than being killed in a mass shooting. Republicans said a teacher might be able to stop a shooter before police can arrive at a school.
Republicans repeatedly emphasized the voluntary nature of the program.
“This bill does not arm one single, solitary teacher,” said Republican Sen. Manny Diaz. “What this bill does is provide the 67 school districts, the 67 different communities in this state, with the ability to do what they need to do to protect our kids.”
So far, 25 districts have approved participating in the guardian program.

Supporters Say Faster Response Needed

Over and over, supporters noted that there were fewer than four minutes between the first and last gunshots during the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 14 students and three faculty members dead on Feb. 14, 2018. Diaz said in some rural counties it could take more than 20 minutes for law enforcement to arrive at a school during a shooting.
“Those that have law enforcement 20 to 25 minutes away need another option to protect those kids,” Diaz said.
But Democratic Sen. Bill Montford, the former Leon County school superintendent, said the Legislature should provide districts the money so they can hire “real, true, well-trained law enforcement” instead of arming teachers.

Asking Teachers to be Law Enforcement

“What I have noticed in the last 40 years is that teachers have been asked to take on the responsibilities that our communities simply can’t address,” Montford said. “When parents fail, we ask our teachers to be parents. When the mental health services fail, we ask our teachers to be counsellors. When social services fail, we ask our teachers to be social workers. Now one more time — one more time — when the safety of our students are at risk, we’re asking our teachers to be law enforcement people. And that’s wrong.”
He said he knows the program is voluntary, but after working in education for 40 years, he said he also knows teachers will feel pressure to volunteer.
“What we’re telling teachers is that if you want protection for you and your children, then do it yourself,” Montford said.
The bill was based on recommendations from a commission formed after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Both sides said they support the other parts of the bill, including provisions dealing with mental health assessments and reporting violent incidents and potential threats at schools. A companion bill is awaiting a House vote.
Authorities say former student Nikolas Cruz carried out the Parkland attack. Cruz, now 20, faces the death penalty if convicted.

DON'T MISS

CHP Car Struck by Drunk Driver While Investigating Another Crash

DON'T MISS

Fresno Man Ejected From Car Dies Off McKinley Avenue

DON'T MISS

‘Leave It the Way It Is’: Off-Roaders, Hikers React to Proposal to Change 1.4M Acres of Sierra Forest

DON'T MISS

Yankees Retain Cole, Add $36 Million Extension to Keep Ace

DON'T MISS

5 Reasons Early Voting Is Overwhelmed With Falsehoods

DON'T MISS

Christian McCaffrey Returns to Practice for the 49ers From Achilles Tendon Injury

DON'T MISS

California Sues LA Suburb for Temporary Ban of Homeless Shelters

DON'T MISS

You May Have Blocked Someone on X but Now They Can See Your Public Posts Anyway

DON'T MISS

Some Republican-Led States Refuse to Let Justice Department Monitors Into Polling Places

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal NW Apartment Shooting

UP NEXT

North Korea’s Long-Range Missile Test Signals Its Improved, Potential Capability to Attack US

UP NEXT

Visalia Rollerblader Suffered Major Injuries After Being Struck by Vehicle

UP NEXT

Fresno County Man Indicted for Possessing Stolen Guns

UP NEXT

On Elon Musk’s X, Dems Are an Endangered Species While GOP Goes Viral

UP NEXT

New Vehicles, Face Paint and a 1,200-Foot Fall: The US Army Prepares for War With China

UP NEXT

CNN Bars Pro-Trump Guest After His ‘Beeper’ Remark to Mehdi Hasan

UP NEXT

LGBTQ Supporters Drown Out Westboro Baptists’ Anti-Gay Message in Fresno

UP NEXT

The ‘Black Insurrectionist’ Was Actually White. The Deception Did Not Stop There

UP NEXT

Washington Post Says It Will Stop Endorsing Presidential Candidates

UP NEXT

What Happened When a Barber Told Trump About His $15,000 Electric Bill

Yankees Retain Cole, Add $36 Million Extension to Keep Ace

4 hours ago

5 Reasons Early Voting Is Overwhelmed With Falsehoods

4 hours ago

Christian McCaffrey Returns to Practice for the 49ers From Achilles Tendon Injury

4 hours ago

California Sues LA Suburb for Temporary Ban of Homeless Shelters

4 hours ago

You May Have Blocked Someone on X but Now They Can See Your Public Posts Anyway

5 hours ago

Some Republican-Led States Refuse to Let Justice Department Monitors Into Polling Places

5 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest Suspect in Fatal NW Apartment Shooting

5 hours ago

Fresno Murder Suspect Stopped in Las Vegas, Others Wanted

6 hours ago

Trump’s Crowds Are Dwindling as His Campaign Winds Down

6 hours ago

Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on Mexico to Curb Immigration

6 hours ago

CHP Car Struck by Drunk Driver While Investigating Another Crash

A driver suspected of being under the influence crashed into a California Highway Patrol car early Sunday, officials said. Officers were inv...

1 hour ago

A driver suspected of DUI crashed into a parked California Highway Patrol car at a fatal crash scene in Fresno County, sustaining minor injuries and later being cited. (Fresno County SO)
1 hour ago

CHP Car Struck by Drunk Driver While Investigating Another Crash

fresno
2 hours ago

Fresno Man Ejected From Car Dies Off McKinley Avenue

2 hours ago

‘Leave It the Way It Is’: Off-Roaders, Hikers React to Proposal to Change 1.4M Acres of Sierra Forest

New York Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning in Game 5 of the baseball World Series, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in New York. (AP/Ashley Landis)
4 hours ago

Yankees Retain Cole, Add $36 Million Extension to Keep Ace

Voters cast their ballots at Desert Breeze Community Center in Las Vegas during the last day of in-person early voting in Nevada on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. Nearly 75 million people have cast early ballots, making their voices heard amid worry about the process, the outcome and democracy itself. (Bridget Bennett/The New York Times)
4 hours ago

5 Reasons Early Voting Is Overwhelmed With Falsehoods

4 hours ago

Christian McCaffrey Returns to Practice for the 49ers From Achilles Tendon Injury

4 hours ago

California Sues LA Suburb for Temporary Ban of Homeless Shelters

5 hours ago

You May Have Blocked Someone on X but Now They Can See Your Public Posts Anyway

Search

Send this to a friend