Rep. Dwight Keifert: We Need Concealed Carry To Protect Our Schools
I feel that we can pass a bill to allow trained personnel to conceal and carry in schools with the approval of the school board, hold a class one license, receive training similar to a resource officer, and work with local law enforcement. But the only way it will be implemented is if parents demand protection for their children.
The larger schools already employ resource officers, but not one exists in my district. We have rural schools that could have a response time of close to half an hour.
School boards would rather hire another coach or vote themselves a raise then hire a resource officer or provide funding to train one of their own. Or hire a retired vet that has been trained, or a retired police officer.
[mks_pullquote align=”right” width=”300″ size=”24″ bg_color=”#000000″ txt_color=”#ffffff”]”There are 18 states including South Dakota which allow teachers to conceal and carry.”[/mks_pullquote]
We were able to pass a bill like this through the House in 2013, but the Senate killed it. Sen. David Hogue (R-Minot) said a trained teacher would be like having someone lobbing bottle rockets down the hall. Sen. Nicole Poolman (R-Bismarck) claimed the bill would allow children to bring guns to school.
Why would a trained teacher or whomever that receives training similar to a resource officer be less acceptable than a regular resource officer?
I would like to hear from the public on whether or not to pursue this. We need parents to email their Legislators, mainly the Senate and demand they provide protection for their school children. I believe Higher Ed is receiving additional funding for security, so why is K-12 being left sitting ducks?
For those who oppose this bill, I would like to hear their answer as well.
There have been 15 major school shootings since Newtown.
There are 18 states including South Dakota which allow teachers to conceal and carry.
Why cant we be proactive on this matter? Newtown thought it would never happen to them too.
Why are our children going to have to pay the price before we take action?
We never used to have murders, stabbings, and drug related shootings in Valley City either, but now we do.
North Dakota’s horizons are changing.
