Ohio governor to sign bill allowing armed school employees

Jun 2, 2022, 7:05 AM | Updated: 7:12 am
Rob Sexton, lobbyist for Buckeye Firearms Association and a supporter of GOP legislation that would...

Rob Sexton, lobbyist for Buckeye Firearms Association and a supporter of GOP legislation that would permit Ohio school districts to arm employees by creating training standards, testifies in favor of the latest version of the bill on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. Sexton urged lawmakers not to make training requirements so burdensome that employees would decide against participating. (AP Photo/Andrew Welsh-Huggins)

(AP Photo/Andrew Welsh-Huggins)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio school districts could begin arming employees as soon as this fall under legislation approved by Republican lawmakers and set to be signed by GOP Gov. Mike DeWine.

Democrats said the proposal, which is optional for schools, sends the wrong message a week after the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Republicans say the measure could prevent such shootings. Lawmakers fast-tracked the legislation to counter the impact of a court ruling that said, under current law, armed school workers would need hundreds of hours of training.

The bill will protect children by ensuring instruction is specific to schools and including significant scenario-based training, DeWine said late Wednesday in announcing his support.

The measure is opposed by major law enforcement groups, gun control advocates, and the state’s teachers’ unions, which asked DeWine to veto the measure. It’s supported by a handful of police departments and school districts.

Under the latest version of the bill, school employees who carry guns would need up to 24 hours of initial training, then up to eight hours of requalification training annually.

DeWine, who is expected to sign the bill later this month, also announced that the state’s construction budget will provide $100 million for school security upgrades in schools and $5 million for upgrades at colleges.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


              Erin Gabbard, an opponent of GOP legislation that would permit Ohio school districts to arm employees by creating training standards, testifies against the latest version of the bill on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. Gabbard was one of the parents at Madison local schools in southwestern Ohio who successfully sued in 2018 over the district's training requirements, arguing they should be much higher. (AP Photo/Andrew Welsh-Huggins)
            
              Rob Sexton, lobbyist for Buckeye Firearms Association and a supporter of GOP legislation that would permit Ohio school districts to arm employees by creating training standards, testifies in favor of the latest version of the bill on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. Sexton urged lawmakers not to make training requirements so burdensome that employees would decide against participating. (AP Photo/Andrew Welsh-Huggins)

AP

(Facebook Photo/Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County)...
Associated Press

Arizona judge has cases reassigned following DUI arrest

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that all cases currently assigned to a Yavapai County Superior Court judge recently arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI will be reassigned to other judges.
3 days ago
Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
6 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
6 days ago
(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
12 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
20 days ago
Mexican army soldiers prepare a search mission for four U.S. citizens kidnapped by gunmen in Matamo...
Associated Press

How the 4 abducted Americans in Mexico were located

The anonymous tip that led Mexican authorities to a remote shack where four abducted Americans were held described armed men and blindfolds.
20 days ago

Sponsored Articles

(Desert Institute for Spine Care in Arizona Photo)...
Desert Institute for Spine Care in Arizona

5 common causes for chronic neck pain

Neck pain can debilitate one’s daily routine, yet 80% of people experience it in their lives and 20%-50% deal with it annually.
...
Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Celebrate 50 years of Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade magic!

Since its first production in the early 1970s, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe has been a staple of Valley traditions, bringing family fun and excitement to downtown Phoenix.
...
Quantum Fiber

How high-speed fiber internet edges out cable for everyday use

In a world where technology drives so much of our daily lives, a lack of high-speed internet can be a major issue.
Ohio governor to sign bill allowing armed school employees