Posted on 05/25/2013 2:07:49 PM PDT by EXCH54FE
The Texas house and senate have passed a bipartisan bill that is on its way to Governor Rick Perry to sign which will allow schools to train and maintain teachers as armed marshals on campuses.
A bipartisan 28-3 Senate vote gave final approval to the marshals bill, which was proposed after the December mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. It had already passed the House over the objection of the Texas State Teachers Association.
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, a Republican, had pushed lawmakers to help school districts provide teachers or other employees with special weapons and tactical response training.
The bill allows school districts and charter schools to place one armed marshal on campus for every 400 students. After 80 hours of training, the marshals could bring a weapon on campus. Their identities would not be subject to public records law.
Marshals working directly with students would have to keep their guns in a lockbox within immediate reach, according to the measure. Marshals not working with students would be allowed to carry concealed weapons.
Weve created a new class of law enforcement officers here in Texas to protect our kids in a moment of crisis, said State Rep. Jason Villalba (R)
The AP claims that this bill follows a relaxing of gun restrictions.
This measure doesnt help anyone because the gun must remain in a lockbox, not in the possession of the teacher at all times. However, it will cost the taxpayers money in order to provide the lockboxes, train, provide ammunition and weapons for those teachers making the cut.
Texas teachers are already permitted to carry guns in class with the permission of their local school boards. However, a small number of districts have actually granted that permission.
(Excerpt) Read more at freedomoutpost.com ...
To think the Democrats are hoping to turn Texas seems a bit far fetched. More propaganda from DWS.
It’s a good start. Thanks, Texans!
TX has learned well from Israel.
Let me tell you what one of the best result of this bill will be.
Some whacko super-lefty-teachers will resign rather than carry a gun.
I think Utah passed a similar bill not long ago.
This makes sense and Governor Perry will sign it.
Someone please explain to me why as a CHL holder I’m not allowed to carry in a school again?
The lock box added is BS.... Any weapon left unattended on school grounds is IMO BS.... Give the teacher firearms retention training, keep their identity from public or student knowledge etc ...
I say trash this bill and stick with what a lot of Texas school districts are already doing.... Let school employees aka , clerks, cooks, janitorial, teachers, etc ... with a CHL and additional training be authorized by school board and local Sheriff and PD.
I would add that volunteers with CHL’s should be allowed to perform same job. Lots of retired military, LEO/FLEA’s and knowledgable folks that can drink their morning coffee in the cafeteria, get some exercise in the weight room, surf free republic in the school library , change their oil in the auto mechanics shop , help the janitors, grounds keepers, librarian etc ...
Meet a board of school supervisors, lawyers and law enforcement with your résumé, pass a background and be briefed and understand you are not there to interact with the students at all as an authority. Not to break up arguments, snag rule violators, hall pass violators etc ...
Your lone assignment is to mitigate the damage from a armed attack on students by stopping the attack.
If these folks are worried about working directly with students when armed then make them use a revolver modified with the magna trigger system.
http://www.tarnhelm.com/writerscorner.html
Not a lock box fan on this issue....
My opinion...
That could make the state religion .. S&W or Colt or Beretta.. now listen to the Left squeal.
what is more precious than the children?
Thanks for the ping!
Thing is, it wouldn’t pass if we did that. Remember, we have the “OMG, TEACHER WILL SHOOT UP CLASS” idiots already. The idea is that we start with this and once those people are discredited some we can ‘loosen’ the restrictions more.
They didn’t get to “NO GUNS” laws overnight. Incrementalism is how we got into this mess. Incrementalism is how we’re getting out of it.
That’s a great question and one that makes me wonder how this is going to work because, unless I’m seriously mistaken, the Schools being “Gun Free Zones” is a Federal Law and if I’m correct in recalling that, then this State Law would seem to be in direct conflict with Federal Statute.
Very confusing. Maybe I’m recalling incorrectly.
Excellent point...
Eother that, or the gun-control proponenets will organize and do what they can to “out” the “marshals” (in this case) and somehow shame those folks and the administrations for foisting such a situation on the teachers and students whom are simply a bunch of lily-livered wastes of air...
But what gets me is why spend the money???Texas already has its oconcealed carry system...What is in an 80 hour class that is not in the CHL class that teaches the laws regarding carrying of a firearm for lawful self defensive purposes, and the laws regarding the use of force and deadly force???
One might also assume that the most likely candidates for this “special” certification would be your burly looking Phys Ed teachers/coaches who might be physically and mentally adept to perform this function...
I beg to differ, I have personally seen (a majority) those types of “teachers” to be rather, how can I say this without pizzing off teachers in general, of whom my wife happens to be a part of that industry...
A little on the “left side of the aisle” for lac of a better term...Or even not as physically or mentally adept as one may assume...
Personally, Iknow teachers in general are wayyyyyy too busy to be focused on an extra cirricular job of maintaining control over any “lockbox”m much less be in a position to effectively be at the right place at the right time...In the case of any soft target school shooting...
Teachers ARE NOT SWAT!!! If something goes down in their school, and it happens, more than likely, to be across the scholl from where they happen to be...I am absolutely sure, even if they have a firearm and are “trained” to handle something like this, that it would be an effefctive program...That at the very least would be in a position to save lives...Considering how quickly most of these shooters who kill at these facilities do so rather quickly...Even your smallest campus is still fairly large to cover for even a combat veteran, much less a teacher who again, may not be physically adept or mentally prepared for such carnage on their way to that shooter...
Now, since I have given the negatives to this issue, now for a few words about the positives and the alternatives that should have been considereed before this bill was created...
Since Texas has an extremely successful and proven system to certify all law abiding citizens to carry concealed for lawful self defensive purposes...Why not relax the Texas Penal Code and allow those of us who have proven ourselve “trustworthy” at the very least to carry concealed in those “premisis” and teachers whom have passed those backgground and state requirements to do so as well...And not again, advertize their capability, nor make a federal case out of the fact that some may actually do this...
You might have a better response, more effective deterrent for those psychotic people enought to possibly cause some hesitation and to seek attention elsewhere...
Removing the “soft-target” stigma of our schools should go hand in hand with ANY effort to get this problem under control...
It isnt perfect, but I see lots of room for improvement in this effort...
By the way, Texas CHL’ers have a proven statistical record for being even MORE trustworthy than commissioned law enforcement officers in this state...
Meaning we tend to commit LESS serious crimes, and wayyyyy less of them, than that community...
Funny how most of those facts tend to not make the headlines these days...
Just my opinion...
I agree...Like I illuded to in my post...This is a feel good measure that is intended to stave off folks like us who ARE more capable already to handle a situation like this...
But the lawyers, litigious nature of our school system doesn’t alllow for us to be trusted, een though our track record is and will be much better than anyone certified in this bills system...
Now, my wife may do this since she is a teacher, and her classroom is a portable building on one side of the campus...She is a great shooter, but she is physically incapable of transiting the distance to the other side of the school to effectively be a response for that campus...And since the bill doesn’t allow for more teachers to be armed, more than one employee per 400 students...Her schools population is about 550 kids...There is not another person that could be in position because of that requirement in the law...
Seems like this effort was doomed to deter teachers or other staff from actually obtaining this certification to begin with...
What gets me is that I know for a fact that there ARE teachers (adminstrators) that will spend time to out the marshals, therefore the program will lose its anonymity...And thus sabotage the system by shaming those looking into this program, at the very least...
I’ve been keeping tabs on this bill, and have had my reservations about its success if it ever were to become law...Now we see it and everyone with skin in this game have very well articulated their concerns about its feasability...
It’s the same justification that was used to get CHL passed initially - ‘same training as the police’. Remember that? The only way they were able to pass it over the whingers’ objections was by saying “CHL holders will get the same training as the police do in the use of their pistols.” Same thing applies here. IIRC, the 80 hour requirement is the same as the firearms training that air marshals get.
Also, this doesn’t preclude schools from allowing teachers with CHLs to carry if they want. A school can have both.
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