Iowa Senate passes bill allowing teachers, staff to obtain a permit to carry a gun on school property
The Iowa Senate passed a bill Wednesday that allows school staff to obtain a permit to carry a gun at school.
After nearly an hour of debate, lawmakers voted 30 to 14 to pass It now heads back to the House.
The bill would allow teachers and other school staff to get a permit to carry a gun on school grounds. In order to get a permit, staff would have to pass background checks and attend at least five training courses. Staff at private schools, colleges and universities would also be allowed to get a permit.
"The only thing I want to arm teachers with are books and supplies," Sen. Janice Weiner of Iowa City said. "Please vote no."
"A good guy with a gun is going to stop a bad guy with a gun. Not every single time, but you don't have a chance if the good guy doesn't have a gun," Sen. Jason Schultz of Schleswig said.
Some lawmakers argue arming staff would make it harder for schools to find insurance. EMC Insurance, one of the largest providers for districts in the state, does not insure schools with armed teachers and staff.
The bill would grant staff members qualified immunity. Some lawmakers say that would help schools keep insurance. Others disagree.
"This does nothing to reduce the risk associated," Sen. Herman Quirmbach of Ames said. "All it does is shift the risk away from the schools."
vlog reached out to EMC Insurance about the bill. The company said in a statement:
We share a deep commitment to the health and safety of students and school personnel and respect every school’s right to choose the policies they believe to be in their best interests.
We believe this legislation could attract more insurance carriers to Iowa along with potentially more options for schools to find coverage that fits their needs. This would be a positive outcome for all.
EMC will continue to insure schools that provide on-site armed security utilizing trained law enforcement or school resource officers (consistent with our policy in all states). We will also continue to explore other options in light of changing marketplace conditions.
The bill would also require school districts with more than 8,000 students to have at least one school resource officer or security officer per high school. School boards could vote to opt out of that requirement. Smaller districts would be encouraged, not required, to hire security.
House lawmakers passed their version of the bill in February. Their bill included a grant program to help districts recruit and retain school security officers. The Senate voted to remove that portion of the bill.
The bill now heads back to the House because of that amendment. If the bill were to be signed into law, it would be effective immediately.
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