Florida Legislature Approves Arming Teachers With Guns

The Florida legislature has passed a bill earlier today that would permit teachers to arm themselves in the classroom. Supporters of the bill praised it for giving schools the option to better secure their students under intense situations, while opponents see a concern of abuse.



This bill is an expansion of a separate "Guardian" bill that was launched after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Highschool shooting. The guardian program is voluntary for all districts in Florida, and education staff (teachers) must take a required 144-hour training course, which includes psychiatric evaluations and drug screenings.

The expansion to arm teachers was voted upon by 65 votes for the legislation, and 47 against. The Senate also approved the bill with a vote of 22 to 17. The Florida house & senate currently has a Republican majority. Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, is expected to sign the bill into law. President of the United States, Donald Trump, has also supported arming teachers. Republican Jennifer Sullivan suggested that it was one of the best ways to protect students from future shooters.

Most Democrats have voted against the bill. The opposition of the bill included the teachers union and some members of the school board. Some districts have also denied the expansion, preventing local teachers from arming themselves.