Bill to Arm Teachers & School Teach Advances Idaho House
Jose Nino
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On January 31, 2024, the Idaho House of Representatives voted to pass legislation that would mandate schools to let employees carry firearms if they have an enhanced concealed carry license.
Members of the Idaho State House voted 53-16 with one abstention to kick HB 415 to the Senate following lengthy debate.
State Representative Ted Hill correctly asserted that schools are “soft targets” for mass shootings because the majority of employees there are unarmed. He believes that this legislation would allow schools to better defend themselves against mass shooting situations.
“We just have to give these people the opportunity to defend themselves,” Hill stated.
Under the bill, any school employee or volunteer who possesses an enhanced concealed carry license must inform their principal and superintendent that they will carry a concealed firearm on school premises. School boards would not be mandated to be informed, and administrators would not be able to deny any individual permission to carry if they met requirements to carry a firearm under the bill.
Such legislation is a commonsense solution to the very real problem of school shootings. The fact of the matter is that these shootings take place in gun-free zones that allow for deranged criminals to amass large kill counts.
If politicians want to actually promote school safety, they would allow for either private security or armed lawful individuals to defend these schools from external threats. Civilian disarmament legislation will not help, but may actually exacerbate matters.
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